Welcome to Freddy Fazbear's Pizza
by Tahalika
Summary: Mike Schmidt is just a guy who thought he'd take a shit job up until he found a decent one. What he didn't expect is that the job ended up being hell on Earth, and his life now becoming a struggle to keep alive. However, things start to seem a little bit less terrifying when he encounters an unexpected friend. (Humanized AU, Foxy/Mike, Will turn M for smut later, on temporary hold)
1. The First Night

**Holy hell, what's this? I've actually started to write again, what in the fresh hell just happened. Well, falling the fuck in love with a ridiculous ship did it, and wanting to just write silly crap cause I'm a mush baby. So yeah, I'm gonna be writing just random shit on and off now of just mushy garbage and silly people cause WHY THE HELL NOT.**

**It's not like it's with a horrible choice of game, I mean FNaF is totally a game of happiness and rainbows right. Everything is just so FRIENDLY RIGHT.**

**No idea how rusty my writing is for this stuff is. Haven't really written anything in ages. I also have no idea how you write pirate accents, lord help me what do I CHANGE. Also, good LORD DIALOGUE YOU'RE KILLING ME.**

**Inspired by pachipachisakana's art, 9tfs83's really good fic on the ship and just various artists that made me fall in love with the humanized AU hnnn.**

**I didn't really write anything about appearances in, since I honestly don't have any personal ideas on how any of them look outside of stuff other people made. So just imagine what ya think they'd look like, or an interpretation you really like; that's what I did anyway.**

**The AU is pretty similar to what 9tfs83 thought up, as it's one where they're humanized/androids but there still capable of merging into the suits. Cause I just liked the idea, it kept the original idea of the game while still having its own unique spin on it.**

**Warning(s): Casually ableist language [Section(s) 1 and 6]**

* * *

><p>Mike plopped down in the swivel chair, flipping on the fan and taking the tablet off the desk. It was his first night on the job, and he was eager to do what he was expected to do; nothing at all. He was hired to be a night watch at the local pizzeria place, a position he was more than a bit shocked to know it even existed. After all, a pizzeria shouldn't have that much in it that would warrant constant surveillance, at least so he thought. But who was he to question it; all you do is sit and look at cameras all night, and while the pay may of been abysmal, it was still easy money.<p>

Besides, he'd only have this job for a little while; he was still looking for an actively better job, and the place was doomed to close by the end of the year anyway. Either he'd be out into a new job with better pay, or he'd just last for the final month the place was still open for.

To be honest, he was shocked that he was hired to this job in the first place; he was hardly qualified at all—having no experience in this kind of field—and he had applied more so out of shit and giggles. The fact that the interview went by so quickly and how the employers seemed more than eager to have him in the position gave him quite a bit of an uneasy feeling. It was almost as if they were simply looking for random guys on the street, not really caring if the job was done right or well at all.

But hell, he needed the money, no matter how pathetic of an amount it was. 480 bucks a month was enough to pay roughly three bills at the most, but that would be three more bills that he could pay that he couldn't before. Besides, it wasn't like he was living alone anyway. Having a roommate in the form of your younger brother made handling expenses a little bit easier, even if money still was fairly tight given his job wasn't anything spectacular either.

Mike wondered at the odd design the little office had. At both sides of the room stood powered iron doors, the kind of strength and style you'd see in high security places. Two buttons were on each side of the room as well; the top labeled doors and the bottom labeled lights. He was more than a little curious to know why a family pizzeria needed such powerful doors, especially to such a small area of the restaurant with nothing of importance to it.

Not only that, but on the wall stood a rather interest display; an LED screen that said the power level and power usage. Currently it displayed the power as being at 99%, and the usage as a single green bar, no doubt from the lights and fan. He remembered that management had told him that at night they had a limited supply of power, so as to save money. It made enough sense, he didn't expect that he'd use that much power anyway.

Mike pressed one of the door buttons to see if they worked. The door came slamming down, making a loud bang as it did. Alright, so they weren't just for decoration, good to know. He noticed that when he pressed the button, a new bar of power usage came up. He opened up the door again, then pressed the light button to see what that would do. Immediately the light in the hallway turned on, showcasing the room that was pitch black before. Once again, another bar of power usage was on the screen; he didn't quite get how lights and doors seemed to take the same amount of power, but oh well. As long as the lights were off and the doors were open, there shouldn't be a problem.

Mike jumped a bit in his seat when the phone suddenly started to ring. What on earth, who's calling a pizza place at the middle of the night? Surely they'd know the place is closed at this time? Mike answered the phone, adjusting the tablet in his lap as he did so and said in as neutral of a voice he could manage, "We're sorry, Freddy Fazbear's pizza is currently closed at this time."

"Hello, hello?" a rather nervous sounding voice spoke out to him.

"Ah, hello sir, I'm sorry but the place is-" Mike started, but was cut off before he could finish.

"Uh, I wanted to record a message for you to help you get settled in on your first night." Oh, so it was a prerecorded message, not actually a person talking. Alright, fair enough. Mike stayed silent as he listened to the message go on.

"Um, I actually worked in that office before you. I'm finishing up my last week now, as a matter of fact. So, I know it can be a bit overwhelming, but I'm here to tell you there's nothing to worry about. Uh, you'll do fine." Well this guy sure oozed with enthusiasm, Mike couldn't help but think.

"So, let's just focus on getting you through your first week. Okay? Uh, let's see, first there's an introductory greeting from the company that I'm supposed to read. Uh, it's kind of a legal thing, you know. Um, "Welcome to Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. A magical place for kids and grown-ups alike, where fantasy and fun come to life." Mike was messing at the cameras at this point, using the tablet to casually flip through the various rooms to see if anything was going on at all. He didn't quite understand how the tablet managed to use power as well, given that it was a wireless device that should have its own source of power. But he shrugged at the little inconvenience; he probably wouldn't have to use the cameras all that much.

"Fazbear Entertainment is not responsible for damage to property or person. Upon discovering that damage or death has occurred, a missing person report will be filed within 90 days, or as soon as property and premises have been thoroughly cleaned and bleached, and the carpets have been replaced." Wait, what in the shit? Why was that part of the introductory?

"Blah blah blah, now that might sound bad, I know, but there's really nothing to worry about. Uh, the animatronic characters here do get a bit quirky at night, but do I blame them? No. If I were forced to sing those same stupid songs for twenty years and I never got a bath? I'd probably be a bit irritable at night too. So, remember these characters hold a special place in the hearts of children and we need to show them a little respect, right? Okay." What the FUCK was this guy talking about? Were the animatronics really capable of something as complex as behavior? Surely they were just basic robots in animal suits right?

"So, just be aware, the characters do tend to wander a bit. Uh, they're left in some kind of free roaming mode at night. Uh… Something about their servos locking up if they get turned off for too long. Uh, they used to be allowed to walk around during the day too. But then there was The Bite of '87. Yeah. I-It's amazing that the human body can live without the frontal lobe, you know?" Mike was getting progressively more freaked out as the message went on, his eyes bugging out. What the fuck was going on in this place?

"Uh, now concerning your safety, the only real risk to you as a night watchmen here, if any, is the fact that these characters, uh, if they happen to see you after hours probably won't recognize you as a person. They'll pro-… they'll most likely see you as a metal endoskeleton without its costume on. Now, since that's against the rules here at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, they'll probably try to… forcefully stuff you inside a Freddy Fazbear suit." Mike's blood ran cold as he heard this, his heart starting to pound erratically. No way, this guy had to be kidding, right?

"Um, now, that wouldn't be so bad if the suits themselves weren't filled with crossbeams, wires, and animatronic devices especially around the facial area. So, you could imagine how having your head forcefully pressed inside one of those could cause a bit of discomfort… and death. Uh, the only parts of you that would likely see the light of day again would be your eyeballs and teeth when they pop out the front of the mask, heh." Mike had been staring at the stage camera ever since this whole unnerving part of the message had started, now worried beyond reasoning at whether or not this guy was joshing him or not. Oh GOD, did he just see one of them move a little?

"Y-Yeah, they don't tell you these things when you sign up. But hey, first day should be a breeze. I'll chat with you tomorrow. Uh, check those cameras, and remember to close the doors only if absolutely necessary. Gotta conserve power. Alright, good night." The phone clicked off right as the message finished, making the droning noise of there being no secondary connection now. Mike felt absolutely petrified now; suddenly things were starting to make a bit more sense and it terrified him.

The reason there were such strong doors, the absolutely bizarre introductory message; he could feel a lump form in his throat, still watching intently at the animatronics on the stage. So far not one of them had budged an inch, and Mike hoped dearly that it would remain that way. He prayed that this was all just some bad prank, just an old guard teasing the new guy since no doubt this job would otherwise get boring. After staring about five minutes straight at the stage, Mike finally switched the tablet off for a moment, relieved that nothing had happened quite yet.

Yeah, this all had to of been just some sort of silly prank. Just a tease, just a joke! Hah, he sure was worried for a second there. Of course the animatronics weren't dangerous, they were just simple machines designed for a child's entertainment! But he couldn't help but flip the camera back on to the stage to just make sure everyone was still in place.

Yup, looks like everyone's still in proper order. There's no way they'd move around so complexly, animatronics simply weren't designed to do tha-

Mike felt his throat close up when suddenly the camera went black. Something knocked the camera's signal out, leaving nothing but a static noise and a blank screen. Mike swallowed hard, shaking the tablet a bit as if that would do any good. Come on, come back on you hunk of junk, this wasn't a good time to do this!

When the camera finally came back on, Mike felt his heart jump to his throat, and his stomach ached now with sudden panic pains. Bonnie was gone from the stage, nowhere to be seen. Mike immediately switched the camera to the dining area, and he very nearly felt like screaming at what he saw. Bonnie was in the room now, moving around on their own accord.

Oh shit, this couldn't be happening. They're fucking animatronics for christ sake, they shouldn't have that kind of complexity to them! They were just supposed to talk and sing and keep the kiddies entertained, not have some sort of free-roaming mode where they did other shit! Who the fuck designed them to do that too?! Mike's thoughts were racing a thousand miles a minute, his head pounding in panic and fear.

Mike breathed shakily, trying to get himself calmed down enough to think. Alright, this was going to make things a lot more complicated than they should of been, but this wasn't a problem. All he had to do was make sure the animatronics didn't go in the room with him, to close the doors when they were out there, and make sure he kept enough power to last the night.

He couldn't use the cameras all that often, considering it drained the power just as much as the doors did, but he'd be able to make do. As long as he kept an eye out in the door frames for them, he would be fine. He now understood why there were lights outside to the hallways, considering otherwise you couldn't see a thing in front of you.

Mike took a deep breath and mentally prepared himself. So this was going to be more exciting than he thought, at least that means he won't be bored. Granted though, he didn't think panicked and fearful was much of a step up from bored, but it was something at least.

Putting the tablet down for now, Mike flicked on the hallway lights just to make sure nothing was there before settling down more in his chair, letting the fan cool him off. Good thing this was here, he certainly was gonna be hot and sweaty from the sheer stress of it all.

—

It was approaching 3 am, and so far Mike hadn't run into any trouble. Bonnie had gotten close quite a few times, but always seemed to back out just when Mike thought they were about to strike. Not only that, but Chica had recently become active as well, and unlike Bonnie seemed to prefer taking the right path over the left. However, she hadn't proceeded much farther past the kitchen, and spent the majority of her time in said kitchen given the constant noise coming from the area.

So far Mike was in an extremely awkward state of feeling a little bit at ease at how everything had gone, and feeling like his stomach was going to explode from the sheer anxiety of the situation. He certainly didn't know if the guy on the phone was just pulling his leg, and given the fact the animatronics were capable of moving in such an advanced manner he _really_ didn't care to find out. All he knew was that these robots were doing shit that were beyond what typical animatronics did, and it frightened him something awful.

At least Freddy hadn't activated yet, and didn't show any signs of activating soon either. And at least it seemed like there were only three of the fuckers to worry about; he had known there was a fourth animatronic in the Pirate Cove area, but when he flipped through the cameras and saw the out of order sign, he assumed that animatronic was too out of commission to do anything. In fact, if he recalled right, that animatronic's been out of order for years now, and he was amazed it was still broken down after all this time. Perhaps it was just too much to get the old fox fixed, which was a shame; Mike always did find the pirate to be the most interesting part of the establishment when he was a kid.

But at least that meant he wouldn't have to worry about another animatronic potentially killing him, even if nostalgia did make him rather sad. When Mike was a kid and went to Freddy's, Foxy was his favorite of the animatronics just for the sheer novelty of it; he found pirates to be more interesting than just some band members like the trio was, so he was always excited to see a Foxy show. But then he'd come back to the place once only to find the attraction completely isolated, and that "Sorry! Out of Order" sign propped right in front of the stage; and every sequential visit that same sign would always be there. He didn't really go to Freddy's that much afterwards; the pizza was alright but it was way too expensive and just not worth it without his favorite show.

Mike sighed a bit from the nostalgia trip he suddenly experienced, only to feel his heart freeze up when he heard sudden footsteps to his left. Looking at the doorway, he pressed the light button and nearly felt his skin jump off of him when he saw the giant purple rabbit right outside the door, staring straight at him. Mike rapidly pressed the door button, having the door slam shut and his head pound from the sheer shock of it all; _jesus_ that bunny was bigger than he remembered. He took in a shaky breath, before checking the other hallway just to make sure Chica hadn't suddenly stepped the pace up, and released it slowly to try and calm himself down.

Looking back over at the left door, his heart froze once again when he saw that Bonnie had moved to the window, now staring at him completely ominously. For a moment, his gaze was frozen on the animatronic rabbit, feeling his heart pound at how the damn robot was just glaring at him so intensely. Raising a shaking hand, he pressed the light button again to turn off the light and try his best to just ignore the thought of the rabbit still staring at him. God his heart felt like it was going to burst.

Well this was bound to happen sooner or later, but he had hoped his reaction would have been better than that. Right now he just felt like a proper mess, shaking fairly badly and breathing in a sporadic manner. He tried to make sure his eyes didn't wander to the window again as he tried to calm his racing thoughts. Lord, these things were a lot more intimidating than he remembered them to be.

Three more hours. Three more hours of stress, then he could just pass out in his bed and let his mind wander off properly.

—

Foxy stared at the camera at the corner of the room, waiting to see if that red light to show it was activated would turn on. He hadn't seen that light turn on a single time since he decided to peak out about an hour or so ago; usually people would at least casually flip through the cameras to his area a few times, but this guy hadn't done it a single time.

Was the guy even using the cameras, he wondered. Was he one of those guys who thought that just staring at the doors was the best solution? Was he just completely clueless to the fact he was even still around? The old fox sighed tiredly, not really enjoying the fact that the lad hadn't even checked at least once to realize there's someone in Pirate Cove.

But he couldn't help but feel a certain excitement at the idea that the lad wouldn't check the cameras enough; after all, that would mean he could play his own game, and he hadn't done that in well over a year. He honestly couldn't care less about this game of cat-and-mouse Freddy made them play with the security guards, so as a bit of an alternative Freddy let Foxy have his own little fun; though this fun had a single specific objective it needed to achieve for it to even be a thing in the first place.

The person needed to be so extremely careless about the cameras as to not check Pirate Cove enough to prevent Foxy from running on the first night of their job. If they met that little quota, then Foxy would be allowed to play his own little game for as long as the security guard was alive; to be a little beacon of hope in an otherwise grim situation.

You see, Foxy wasn't the kind of guy who found Freddy's game to be enjoyable in the slightest. In fact he honestly found it morbid beyond belief, but considering the fact Freddy was his boss and friend, it was sort of hard to not be a part of it even in as passive of a situation he tried to make himself in. It was why he acted so differently compared to the other animatronics; he would stay stationary as long as the Cove was checked periodically, only going out gradually the longer someone didn't look.

It was about as passive as a role as he could play—considering the fact Freddy seemed to love his game so much—so he was appreciative that Freddy let him have his own way when he could. And he especially liked how Freddy—with a bit of hesitance on his part—let him have his own fun with his little alternative to the game. If that one little requirement was met, then every night for one hour he would be a friend to the guard; just casually talking with them and allowing them to have an hour of not worrying about being killed.

It was just a nice break from the constant terror that was to be expected from the game. Instead of being a force of fear, Foxy would be a bit of relief for that small frame of time, and the others could do whatever they wanted to do as well. Freddy usually would just wait until the hour was up, but he knew Bonnie and Chica at least did other things, like play around with the spare parts or mess around the kitchen instead. And in a way, he guessed Freddy appreciated it as a way of extending an otherwise brief game; after all, there wasn't much fun in a one night show.

Granted though, the talking usually wasn't anything spectacular. Past guards would usually be as silent as a butterfly, being so anxious as to not provoke a lasting conversation. Much of the time would be kept in such a silence that the little break from the game felt more like an awkward stand-in than anything. But Foxy didn't mind that much; he was a patient man, so the silence never really bothered him.

Foxy went out of the curtains at this point, still staring at the camera. The light had yet to come on, giving the promising feeling that indeed he would be able to play his game. Oh it had been so long, he was honestly getting a bit excited for it!

He would still give the guard a bit of a scare though. He didn't mind frightening the guards at all; in fact he rather enjoyed being an asshole like that and causing a startle every once in a while. It was the whole stuffing people in suits not designed for them that put him off. Wasn't exactly a friendly thing to do, or a good way to keep a good reputation. After all, constant missing reports had to add up eventually, and the restaurant already had become infamous over the years for the various incidents that had happened.

He supposed you couldn't sully an already ruined reputation that much more though. Foxy kept his eye on the camera, anticipating the light turning on and ruining his chance at a break. He certainly knew he'd like to end this all with a more positive note than just kill another guard as per usual.

—

6 o'clock was just around the corner, and Foxy hadn't seen the light turn on at all; not a single time since he decided to get out from behind the curtain. Well, now seems like a good time to see if the lad hadn't already gotten killed or something. And if not, then well, time for him to have his fun.

Foxy sprinted out of the Cove, bolting down towards the West Hall. He had passed by Bonnie as he went, and when the bunny saw the pirate was out of the cove they immediately knew what would happen now. With a light chuckle, Bonnie shook their head and started to head for the backroom. Well, looks like they've suddenly got more free time on their hands.

—

Mike was starting to feel a bit more relaxed now that it was close to six; his stomach had finally started to unknot itself, and his hands hadn't shaken quite as intensely as they had before. He certainly had his heart feel like it was going to jump right out of his chest multiple times throughout the night, but so far he hadn't experienced too debilitating of a panic attack. The first night seemed to have been fairly tame; Bonnie had only come to the door once, and Chica hadn't made it one time.

It almost felt like they were teasing him more than anything, just trying to get his nerves messed up and tension high. But hell, who was he to know what they were doing; he still could hardly believe something like this was possible, yet here he was, sitting in an office having to constantly monitor fucking doorways. He couldn't find a new job quick enough it seems, hopefully he'd catch a lucky enough break to have someone actually hire him soon.

Mike suddenly froze in his seat when he heard a different sound than usual coming from the hallway, gradually getting louder as time progressed. It sounded an awful lot like metal pounding on the floor, almost like the footsteps that would sound when the animatronics were near; except this time, it sounded much louder and was at a faster pace. Flipping on the tablet again, Mike switched the camera over to the west hall.

Mike felt his throat close up when he saw a different animatronic than the main trio run down the hallway. No way, that couldn't be Foxy, could it? He was certain that he would be out of commission; after all, why else would his display have that out of order sign on it for so long? So caught up in debating about whether or not it was the old fox or not, Mike didn't even think about closing the door until it was too late.

Popping out from the side, the tattered remains of the fox animatronic came into view as a horrible shrieking sound reverberated through the room. Very nearly dropping the tablet, Mike screamed out in terror as he covered his ears and curled up tightly into a ball in his seat. His heart felt like it wanted to give out so badly, pounding so harshly that it hurt his chest.

Mike whined out in fear, feeling his entire body shake and his eyes close tightly, nearly to the brim of tears. Oh god, this was it, he wasn't even going to get a chance to make it out of here! He was going to die right here, right now; stuffed into some horrible suit, having his flesh torn all to pieces! He could already anticipate feeling that harsh hand grabbing a hold of him, dragging him off to the backroom as he kicked and screamed and pleaded for mercy.

Mike kept curled up for a good few seconds, just waiting now for the inevitable to happen. His mind was racing, his head felt like his brain was burning down like an overheated computer. Tears now ran down his face, and his throat felt so harsh from the screaming that it honestly felt like he swallowed sandpaper. He didn't want to die, he didn't want to die…

When he didn't feel any sort of contact for a solid ten seconds, Mike was now both terrified and confused. Surely it wouldn't take this long to attack someone, right? Mike shakily looked up from his position, and was shocked to find what appeared to be a laughing robotic fox. Sure enough, when he uncovered his ears he heard a hearty, tinny laugh coming from said fox, echoing all throughout the room and hallway.

"W-what the h-hell?" Mike verbalized his thoughts, completely surprised at what he was witnessing. He had expected to be horribly mutilated, given how the guy spoke about the robots, yet here all he got was shrieked and laughed at.

"Hahaha, well ye certainly had a bad reaction, didn't ye lad?" Foxy said in a baritone voice, his voice having about the same quality of sound to it as was to be expected from an animatronic; like someone speaking into a low quality microphone. Mike's eyes widened when he heard the fox speak to him, utterly shocked that the robot was capable of speaking outside of pre-recorded lines; though thinking about it, considering the fact they were capable of moving beyond simple motions, he probably shouldn't have been that surprised.

"Y-you can fucking talk?!" Mike said in a quivering voice, trying to keep his voice from going too high from the sheer stress of it all.

"Aye, that I can lad. Is it really that shockin'?"

"Well, YEAH. Pretty damn shocking that a fucking robotic fox is talking to me. How is that not shocking?" Mike said incredulously. Holy hell was he really talking to an animatronic animal right now?

"Fair enough then, suppose it'd be rather surprisin' fer people not used ta us. Though if it makes ye feel a bit less confused, I'm not exactly just a robotic fox, so talkin's not exactly tha most astonishin' thing I can do." Foxy walked more in the room, revealing more of just how ruined the suit was. Tears were scattered all throughout the costume, revealing the metal endoskeleton underneath. Mike was quite surprised the suit had gotten to such a state of disrepair; did a couple of kids mess it up or something? Or did it get this way over time?

Mike snapped out of his thoughts again as he focused on the more pressing matter at hand; the fact that a fucking piece of equipment was _talking to him_. "Yeah, clearly not just a robotic fox, pretty sure if you were I wouldn't be shitting myself right now. Though I guess shitting myself is better than dying or whatever the hell you guys do to security guards," Mike spoke in a bit of a guarded tone, worried that the conversation would take an unpleasant turn.

"Heh, yeah, that is a pretty nasty thing, isn't it? Lucky fer ye lad, I'm not here ta do that. Or at least not tonight anyway; got meself some personal morals, ye know? No killin' tha first night o' a new guard's job. So no need ta look so tense there." Foxy spoke in a fairly soft tone, trying to not intimidate the man so much now.

"Pretty hard not to be when you look like _that_ man. Like no offense dude, but you're pretty damn horrifying to look at, holy hell." Mike wondered at how something designed like this was ever marketed towards children. Though considering the fact he wasn't scared of it as a kid, maybe it was just because kids had a different definition of borderline horrific. And the whole seeing parts of the internal structures didn't really help to add a welcoming feeling.

"Ah right, probably do look pretty terrible, don't I? If ye want lad, I could come out o' this ratty ol' thing an' make this a bit more comfortable."

"I think I can see enough of you out of the suit already man, don't really think it'll help that much. Plus, I've seen what those endoskeleton shit things look like outside of the suits, honestly it makes me _more_ nervous than… this," Mike gestured towards Foxy, emphasizing he meant the suit. "Like don't get me wrong, suit's a fucking nightmare too, but those skeleton things are a whole new level of holy hell. Especially the eyes, jesus."

Foxy laughed out at at how the lad was acting; certainly was an abrasive fella, wasn't he? "I'm not meanin' I'm tha endoskeleton lad, that's just part o' tha suit as well. I'm meanin' actually gettin' out entirely. Showin' ye who I really am! I promise ye, it's objectively not as bad as this tattered hunk o' junk."

Mike looked thoroughly confused at this statement. Surely there couldn't be anything _more_ to the animatronics, right? They were only designed to hold so much stuff in them, right? Besides, what else would there be to it anyway? "Uh, color me confused here, but I don't get how there could possibly be more to you. You're… you're an animatronic fox man." He could hardly believe the words leaving his mouth right now, was this really happening?

"Aha, that's where ye be wrong lad! Easy mistake ta make, since we are designed ta look like simple animatronics ta prevent tamperin' or plunderin' ta us! Like I said before, quite a bit more than just a fox, an' I can show ye what I mean! Just give me a second, gotta get some more room ta actually get outta this thing." Foxy stepped out of the office after he excused himself, going into the blackness that was the hallway.

Mike just sat in his chair, his face scrunched up in bewilderment. Well, at least things hadn't gone tits up. Mike pressed the light button to see if he could perhaps take a sneak peak at whatever Foxy was doing, but didn't see him near the doorway or the window. And he didn't particularly care to move out of his seat either; he still was on edge considering the fact that shit was happening that honestly shouldn't have been happening in the first place.

He heard a soft humming noise coming from the hallway, now making him a bit more curious. Getting out of his seat, he peaked around the outside of the doorway to see if he could get a glimpse of what was going on. He still couldn't see too well, as Foxy was going just beyond where the light reached to get enough room, but he thought he could see what looked like the shape of a person stepping out of the back of the animatronic.

Wait, how the hell did a person fit in there? Surely there wouldn't be enough room to fit in there, given all the mechanical parts that make up an animatronic. And besides, the guy on the phone made it pretty damn apparent that people weren't meant to be in the suits at all. Yet here it looked like some guy was just casually walking out of it. Mike was quite flustered at the lack of a logical explanation his brain could think up.

So caught up in trying to make sense of what he barely witnessed, he didn't notice the man standing in front of him until he was spoken to. "See lad, not quite as intimidatin' as before, am I?" Foxy spoke in a gentle tone, his voice no longer having the tinny quality to it.

Mike jumped a little as he was startled out of his thoughts, looking up at the man before eying the suit he toted behind him. He just couldn't comprehend how a person was able to fit inside the robot, especially since it was still apparent that the endoskeleton was still present. Mike nodded before he gestured towards the suit, his face contorted in pure confusion. "So, uh, how exactly did you manage to get in… that?"

Foxy let out a light chuckle at the confused look the lad gave, adjusting the suit's position behind him to lean against the wall as to be a bit more comfortable. "Aye, it's pretty confusin' ta understand how this works, isn't it? I'd explain better now, but I'd need a bit more time than we currently got matey. Ta put it simply right now, it's usin' technology ta merge me body inta this here suit so as ta be more capable o' advanced motions!"

Mike's face didn't shift a bit in expression, and in fact his baffled look deepened with that brief explanation. "Yeah that doesn't make any… that doesn't clear anything up man. Merging?" Mike said in a bewildered manner, his eyebrows completely scrunched up.

"Aye, merging. As in, me body an' this suit becomin' one. Thinkin' about it though, that still sounds rather odd, doesn't it?"

"It sounds downright impossible man, what the hell is going on?! How the hell are you capable of 'merging' into the suits, you look like just some guy! Hell, I thought you were a daytime employee or some shit pranking me at first, but…" Mike simply couldn't find the words to finish his train of thought, his mind felt like a jumbled mess trying to process all that was happening.

"Well, maybe this'll give it more sense then. I'm not exactly human matey, so I can do things that a human can't," Foxy tried to give some clarity to the situation, understanding pretty well that this had to be utterly baffling. No doubt the lad was confused about what was happening even before his introduction, so this certainly wouldn't be helping.

Mike mouthed a "what," completely incapable of verbalizing his thoughts at this point. Not human? How could he not be human, he looked like a human! Well, he guessed he was an animatronic fox before all this happened, but… "So what are you then, if not human?"

"Well, an animatronic as ye could see! Or well, perhaps tha better term right now would be… Ah, blast, forgot tha word for it! Starts with an A as well, but it's not animatronic. Ye know what it's called lad? A humanesque robot?"

"Android?" Mike said in a confused tone, his eyebrow raised at just how bizarre the conversation was turning. An android? Surely those were things of science fiction, not of reality! And besides, why on earth would a kid's pizzeria need that kind of advanced technology?

Foxy snapped his fingers, clicking his tongue at what the man said. "That be it! Android. Arr, never did understand why I could never remember that blasted word… But in any case, aye, I'm an android matey! A robot!"

Mike's eyebrows were raised at this point as he stared incredulously at the man. Was he being serious? Mike wasn't sure if he should just trust the man so openly, but considering what he'd gone through this night it didn't seem completely unlikely. Mike crossed his arms before replying, "Yeah, color me a skeptic, but that really sounds completely implausible. What the hell would a pizzeria need androids for?"

"Well, can't really answer ye there lad; don't know that answer meself. But I ain't lyin' matey, I really am an android! An' I can prove it ta ye, just give me a moment…" Foxy raised up his other hand to show his right hand, which was in fact a hook. Wait, what the shit, he had another hook?!

"What the hell, you have a hook outside of the suit as well?" Mike said, a bit surprised. More so shocked about how it took him so long to notice that rather obvious distinction, but still shocked none-the-less.

"Aye, that I do! Got an eye patch as well, though I usually keep it up. Not fun constantly bumpin' inta things ye didn't quite see, ye know? Can't be a proper pirate without 'em!" Foxy pointed at the raised eye patch using his hook, smiling rather proudly at his attire. "But that's not tha important thing right now. This is!"

Foxy grabbed a hold of his hook with his hand, before he started to twist it off. Wait, was he really unscrewing the hook off of him? Mike would have thought the attachment would've been permanently on his hand, or that you'd at least have to tug it off to see the stump of a hand underneath. Yet here he was, twisting it like a flashlight cap.

Once Foxy got the hook unscrewed, he lowered his hand to reveal the opening where a hand stump should've been. "Ye see lad, pretty sure a human wouldn't have this, would ye?"

Mike's jaw dropped at what he saw; sure enough, he saw a metal interior with circuitry and wires strewn all throughout. Certainly wasn't a feature any human would have; if a human had this kind of opening, it would've just been a mess of gore, and overall been unpleasant. Mike lightly grabbed Foxy's arm to bring the opening closer to view, completely awestruck at what he was seeing.

"Y-yeah, this really isn't… something you'd see everyday. Holy _shit_," He said in a breathless manner, his fingers lightly tracing the edges and his eyes positively glowing in wonder.

Foxy chuckled lightly at the man's reaction; he certainly seemed like an excitable lad, didn't he? The other guards he had interacted with didn't nearly show as much intrigue at the situation as he did, and it was a pleasant change of pace. Perhaps this game would be more enjoyable this go around, instead of it just feeling like a test of endurance. Which reminded him…

"Now that that's settled, yer probably pretty confused as ta why I haven't just killed ye now, right? After all, ye mentioned knowing that's what we do here."

Mike was jolted back to reality with the statement, realizing just now that his life had been in danger just moments before. "Ah, y-yeah. I got a phone call when I first arrived, from a former security guard I suppose. They explained pretty well that you guys… weren't exactly friendly. But you seem pretty nice, so you can guess I'm pretty confused now as to what's truth and what's fictitious."

Foxy's smile turned into a more stern look now; he probably should've explained this before he got the lad all comfortable, thinking about it now. But oh well, couldn't change the past now. "Well, they weren't wrong lad; we aren't friendly, at least not most o' tha time. Most o' tha time we be out fer yer blood, ta get ye startled up an' scared ta death. Nothing personal, mind ye, that's just tha point o' tha whole game; yer tha prey an' we're tha predators." Foxy lightly tugged his arm out of the man's grip, trying to make sure he was paying enough attention.

Mike's blood felt cold now at the sudden serious tone the android took, worried beyond reasoning that the situation would go grim. He swallowed hard, before muttering in a shaky tone and backing away, "S-so, y-you're going to k-kill me now then?" His voice was weak with fear.

Oh shit, he didn't want the lad to get too comfortable, but he also didn't want to scare him too badly now! He just wanted to make sure the man knew that this wasn't going to be constant friendly encounters, to make sure his guard wouldn't be down at the wrong time! He raised up his hand in a gesture of innocence, before speaking in a soft—if not rushed—tone, "No no lad, not today! Already told ye, didn't I? I have morals; no killin' tha first night, no matter how badly tha guard messes up. Which is exactly why I'm here matey; ye messed up pretty spectacularly ye know."

Mike raised his eyebrows again, a bit confused now. He thought he did pretty well considering it was his first night; he had stayed attentive to his surroundings, and whenever he heard footsteps coming towards his area he always made sure to have the doors closed. "H-how did I fuck up? I made sure the doors were closed when someone was around, and I kept an eye on the cameras pretty thoroughly…"

"Perhaps ye did, but what ye didn't do was check Pirate Cove. I had been lookin' at that camera tha entire night ta see if ye'd switch ta it at least once ta realize tha cove wasn't empty, but I didn't see that light go on a single time. Not once, and I'd been starin' at that camera since at least two."

Mike honestly felt a little offended at the statement. He DID check the cove at least once, but when he checked he didn't see anyone there. And how was he supposed to know the animatronic was still working, the sign said "Out of Order" for christ sake! "Well excuse me for assuming 'out of order' meant not working. I thought you were too busted up to be a threat! I mean that sign's been there for what feels like years now, I assumed if they hadn't gotten you fixed yet they wouldn't have had you fixed now!"

Foxy sighed at that. Right, that bloody sign. It had been there for so long he practically forgot about it, despite it always being a present reminder of that horrible night 27 years ago. Wow, 27 years, had it really been so long?

"Right, ye have o' a point there. Honestly that sign's a bit o' a deceiver; not much o' tha animatronic is that broken. Some parts o' it certainly are, like tha jaw joints are a bit too loose an' o' course tha suit's in ruins, but it's still capable o' workin' fairly normally. It's more there just cause it was cheaper than tearin' tha stage down… Haven't really been a part o' tha establishment except in heart fer years now, after all."

Foxy was honestly getting sad at recollecting his memories now. That night had been an awful night, one he had regretted since the moment it happened. And it didn't help the fact that it happened shortly after the murders, back when the restaurant was already in a bad spot. So this only helped to kindle an already in flames situation, one that the pizzeria simply hadn't been able to recover from.

Mike was a bit concerned at the sudden solemn tone the man took, stepping forward a little and putting his hand out as a gesture of compassion. "Ah, you alright dude?"

Foxy sighed, looking at the hook still in his hand before screwing it back in place. "Aye, that I am matey. Just… had a bit o' an unpleasant memory is all. But anyway, ye could o' at least checked tha cove a few times just fer safety's sake! Just ta make sure ye know? Though I suppose if ye did, we wouldn't be here right now, would we… Which reminds me, still haven't explained why I'm here, have I?"

"No, ya really haven't. Just criticized how I did my job and then went all sad." Mike stepped back now that Foxy didn't seem so depressed; well he certainly recovered fast, didn't he?

"Right, need ta get that in order before tha night's through! Ye see lad, I'm not a big fan o' this aggressive lil game here. Freddy's tha only one who really cares 'bout it ta any extent, but we sorta all have ta play along since he's tha head honcho, ye know?" Mike nodded a bit in a sort of faux understanding, but not really wanting to kill any more of the little time Foxy had to explain to ask questions.

"So I play tha game a wee bit differently from tha bunch. I only go out o' me cove if I'm not checked enough; so as long as ye keep checkin' on Pirate Cove, ye won't run inta any problems from me! An' as long as ye close tha door when ye see me runnin' down that hall in me suit, ye won't have any hassle with me! Easy enough ta get, right?"

"Yeah, seems simple enough… Still doesn't really explain why you're here now though. Well… sorta does, means I didn't check the cove enough, but it doesn't explain how I'm still breathing here."

"I'm gettin' there lad, just a bit o' patience alright? Anyway, as I said before, I don't like tha game that much, and I 'specially don't like dealin' with tha game on tha first night o' a guard's job; just doesn't seem fair, ye know? So I have a bit o' a game meself, it's a game I only get ta play when a guard messes up like ye did. If a guard didn't check tha cove enough ta prevent me from makin' a sprint fer it their first night, then tha game starts."

Foxy walked over to Mike, wrapping his arm around his shoulder in a friendly manner before poking his hook lightly at Mike's chest. "Mind ye, it isn't a bad game in tha slightest… Or well, maybe it could be if yer socially anxious or just aren't a fan o' company, but otherwise it's a completely tame game. An' that game is yer gonna be me first mate fer an hour every night as long as yer here!"

Mike stared at the man, contemplating just what he said. His first mate? "Ya mean like a friend? For an hour each night?" Mike said, his tone a little confused but more understanding than it had been earlier.

"Aye, like a friend! Can't really do much more than talk, since there's not much ta do 'round here at night, but hey, that's an hour ye don't have ta worry 'bout the others! That's tha appeal o' me game lad; when I'm around ye they won't try an' get ye!"

Mike hummed a bit at that explanation. That DID sound pretty pleasant, especially since he kept nearly having full blown panic attacks whenever Bonnie or Chica was at the doors and just kept _staring at him_. An hour a night of not having to deal with that sounded rather heavenly in fact, he could get behind this game! But he couldn't help but have his thoughts wander off to dark directions.

"Are there any catches to this 'game' of yours? Like you'll be my friend, but when you're not you'll kick it into overdrive to get me killed? Or like the others get a _lot_ more aggressive to make up for the lost time?"

"Nay lad, not a catch! I could explain ta ye better how exactly Freddy's game works, but that would have ta wait 'til tomorrow; don't really have tha time ta go over it now, 'specially cause it'd take a while!" Foxy hugged the man a bit closer to himself, his arm still wrapped around his shoulder. "Only catch would be ye have ta deal with me an hour a day! May be a bit much ta ask from this old fox, since I dunno if yer tha kind o' guy who cares fer banter, but…"

"Oh, no no! I don't mind chatter, I just… don't usually do it often is all. Stay to myself mostly, ya know?" Mike reassured the man, patting his hand slightly. "Chatting for an hour sounds like a much better alternative to fearing for my life for that hour, in any case! Is there any specific time you come?"

"Nay, I come at random hours every night. Could come as soon as ye walk in tha door, could wait 'til like I did now an' get ye at tha end o' it. Maybe get ye in tha middle o' a tango with Bonnie or Chica, get ye while yer nerves are still high!" Foxy was absolutely beaming at the man now, happy to see him being so open about the game.

"Alright, suppose that's fair enough… But how will I know when you're coming for a visit and when you're coming out for my blood?"

"Ah, thinkin' 'bout all tha details lad? Sharp eye ye got there, I like it! Alright, ta put it simply, if ye hear running, that's probably a good sign ta know ta get tha doors closed. Usually only run when I'm doin' me part o' tha game, ye know. If yer unsure, ye can always check tha cameras ta see if I'm out o' tha cove, an' if I am out ye can see whether or not me suit's on! If suit's on, yea, best get that door closed pretty quickly. If not, then ye know it's time fer our friendly banter!"

Mike clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, nodding at Foxy's words. "Alright, sounds fair enough. Hear running? Pretty bad, get the doors closed. No running but you're gone from the cove? Give the cameras a peak to see if your suit's on. If suit's on, not a friendly encounter. Seems easy enough to understand!"

"Fast learner, aren't ye? Keep it up and ye may just make it out o' here alive matey!"

Mike jumped a bit when a bell suddenly sounded in the office. Foxy looked up at the clock, confirming it was indeed 6 AM. Well he knew he came late, but he was honestly quite sad the shift was up now. The lad had been a pleasant surprise to what he was so used to expecting. He shrugged a little, giving the man one last squeeze before removing his arm from around his shoulder.

"Well, ye made it yer first night lad. Let's see just how long ye last, aye? Like I said before, I'll explain ta ye tomorrow how Freddy's game works, so try ta stay alive 'til me next visit, eh?"

Mike smiled slightly, nodding in confirmation. "I'll try not to die just yet. Not until you better explain things at least; don't think I could die a restful soul without knowing the mysteries of this place beforehand."

"Perhaps yer right matey. Well, be seein'- Oh wait, doy!" Foxy smacked his head with his hand, completely forgetting one important little detail. "Never even got ta introduce meself, did I? Just assumed ye already knew who I'd be, bit rude o' me no? Cap'n Foxy, pleasure ta make yer acquaintance!" Foxy raised his hand out towards Mike in a friendly gesture.

Mike chuckled a little, taking the man's hand in his own and shaking. "Actually did know who you were, but I could introduce myself at least. Name's Mike, Mike Schmidt."

"Well, Mister Schmidt, tha pleasure's been mine! Be seein' ye tomorrow lad! Remember, check Pirate Cove!" Foxy said, giving a toothy grin and a two-finger salute before walking out the door, the suit in tow behind him. Mike waved a farewell to him in return.

Once the man was gone, Mike's small smile faltered back to its neutral position as he flopped back into his chair. Technically he could go home now, his shift was over and all that. But his mind was more preoccupied with another matter at hand…

The HELL just happened?

—

Mike kicked the door open to the apartment, sighing exasperatedly as he threw his bag onto the couch. He had been absolutely exhausted on his drive home, especially since on his way back a crash had happened, so the roads were tied up for a while to get it straightened out. Kicking the door closed behind him, he collapsed into the small armchair next to the door and covered his face with his hands.

He still could hardly believe what in the shitting fuck just happened. He got hired at possibly the worst job he'd ever applied for, and when he thought the job would at _least_ be simple, it turned out to be the exact opposite. Even when he was driving home, Mike couldn't help but look at his sides just to make sure those damn robots hadn't hightailed with him. He felt like an utter wreck, and more than anything just wanted to pass out in bed for the day.

But he couldn't help feeling a certain thrill from the job as well. The whole fact that he had to fight for his life ignited a primal excitement within him; a perverse delight in the absolute danger. Not only that, but he was also genuinely interested in the bizarre animatronic of a man that was apparently the pirate fox. He'd never would've thought androids actually existed, much less in a child's pizzeria of all places, but there simply was no denying what he saw. He still remembered how much in awe he was simply seeing the machinery in the man's arm, how complexly the wires and circuits integrated with the body.

Not only that, but the guy was also just really pleasing to talk to. His voice rolled in a delightful accent, sounding something like out of the UK but couldn't quite pinpoint where exactly. And the way he said his words; with such passion and excitement, yet so gently and calmly, so soothingly… Mike had felt like just melting at his voice multiple times throughout the brief conversation, but did his best to keep himself composed.

Admittedly, he was the biggest reason Mike looked forward to going back to that hellhole in the first place. Just to have the opportunity to talk to Foxy again, to hear his wonderful voice and to actually have a conversation with someone for once. He really didn't interact with people all that much, thinking about it now. Just his brother and _maybe_ a friend if they texted him, but that was it.

Mike sighed, getting up from out of the seat and walking towards the kitchen. He wondered if his brother was even awake at this point, given that it was still six in the freaking morning. But his brother had always been one of those bizarre morning people, so it wouldn't be too out of character if he was awake now.

Sure enough, Mike was greeted to the smell of slightly burnt pancakes as he walked into the kitchen. "Well hey, looks like night watch made it through the night!" the young man said, looking up at the exhausted man while he poured syrup on his pancakes. "Oh woah dude, you look beat to hell. Job didn't go so well?"

"Surprisingly was a lot more stressful than I let on." Mike grumbled out, going towards the cabinet.

"What happened man? Don't leave me hanging here," the man said as he shoveled a bite of pancakes in his mouth.

"Don't really feel like talking about it. It was just exhausting as hell, let's put it at that."

"Aw come on dude, you can tell me! Not like I'm gonna go blabbering it off to someone or something! Someone try to break in?"

"No, nothing like that."

"Some kids get locked in so ya had to get the police involved?"

"Not even close," Mike opened up the cabinet, taking out a cup and the bottle of pills it housed within.

"The place suddenly caught on fire so you had to-"

"_Ronnie_, I said I didn't want to talk about it and I meant it. Maybe later or something."

Ronnie frowned at his brother, not really liking his adamance towards the situation. "I'm just a bit concerned bro; I thought the job would be super easy, yet here you are looking tired as shit. And you're even taking your meds, so something fucked must of went down to get your nerves high. And I know you don't really like to bottle stuff up."

Mike sighed, fishing out a pill from out of the bottle. Well, he knew his brother was probably gonna question the hell out of him when he got home, so at least he'd actually mentally prepared for this in the car. Didn't really like to lie that much, so he tried to come up with something that was still partially true. He just knew he couldn't tell Ronnie what the hell actually happened, there's no way he'd believe him if he did.

"It was just a stupid prank that scared me way too much than it should of, it's really nothing at all." Mike said, plopping the pill in his mouth and going to the fridge for a drink.

"What the hell, who pranks the night shift?" Ronnie said with an eyebrow raised.

"A couple of dudes who don't really care about their job all that much, I guess. Can't blame them really, no doubt their pay is just as shit as mine, if not worse." Mike opened up the fridge, taking out the carton of orange juice. Unscrewing the lid, he poured himself a drink and swallowed the pill before it could dissolve any more in his mouth.

"Well, what did they do man?" Ronnie said as he added more syrup to his pancakes. He always did put too much syrup whenever he had pancakes, to the point they would often be a mushy mess by the end of it. Never was a fun thing to clean up.

"Something that really should've given me warning signs when I first saw it, but didn't and just made me start hyperventilating instead." Mike put the carton back in the fridge, before collapsing into the chair in front of his brother, rubbing his face tiredly.

"Which was?" Ronnie just stared at his brother now, twirling the fork in between his fingers.

"The guys decided to dress up like the animatronics and just scared the shit outta me. Made me think the animatronics were fucking sentient and some shit, god damn it was just unpleasant. Really didn't help that one of them decided to try to seal to deal and leave a phone call 'warning me' about them." Well, that was probably as close to the truth as he could make it, considering what he actually was dealing with.

"Oh geez yeah, that sounds awful. Especially cause those things are just fucked beyond reasoning, major creep factors coming from them. Never could go to that place growing up cause that damn bunny freaked the hell outta me, eugh. So yeah, pretty understandable that you'd be freaked out at the idea that those fuckers were alive or some shit, I'd probably would've died if I was there."

"Oh, you have no idea just how true to that you are…" Mike said, sipping the orange juice some more before taking a pretty deep breath. "At least one of them seemed friendly enough, once he revealed he was just pranking me and all."

"Ah?" Ronnie gave Mike a quizzical look, having to struggle with his pancakes a bit as they've started to become too soft to stay on the fork properly.

"Yeah, real nice guy. Explained he was just goofing off with the others to break the new meat in, especially with how dull the job would be otherwise. Said he'd stick around about an hour each night just so I wouldn't get too bored; just get to know him ya know?"

"Well that sounds pretty cool," Ronnie said with a smile, tapping his fork on his plate in his distraction. "Pretty nice of him to do that, especially if it's potentially gonna get him in trouble with the boss there. Don't really get why he'd be interested in a borefest like you though."

Mike shrugged, downing the rest of his orange juice before giving the cup a toss to the sink. "Maybe I'm getting more interesting now, who knows. Or maybe the dude's just easily entertained, or is just trying to prank me more in the most bizarre way. In any case, I appreciate the effort to make the job a little bit less tedious."

"I could imagine man. Still can't believe there's even a night watch position for a pizzeria of all places, like who breaks into a pizzeria? They got like stolen diamonds or some shit?"

"They're probably just concerned with possible vandalism to the animatronics. One of them did look a bit in ruins when I saw them, so it seems to be a bit of an issue they have." Mike got out of the chair now, stretching his arms out.

"Oh really? Which was it? Was it the rabbit, cause let me tell you, that fucker deserves it man."

"Nah, it was actually Foxy. Ya know, the one that's been discontinued since… '87 I think? Turns out it's still around, the suit for it is just a complete mess though. And it's a bit busted up too, but doesn't really seem like they've got much interest in getting it fixed up. Shame too, out of them all that fox is probably the least intimidating of the bunch."

"Never actually saw the fox before, the one time I went there it said it was out of order. But I'll take your word on it, those other ones are a fucking nightmare and a half." Ronnie shivered at the memory, he remembered quite well how he could hardly even eat the pizza cause that damn bunny looked like he was going to go after him at any moment.

Mike nodded in agreement, before yawning quite loudly. "Aaah, think I'm gonna hit the hay now. Today's just been utterly exhausting for me man, hopefully not every day's gonna be like this."

"Yeah, not used to seeing you go to bed so early man. Usually you at least wait 'til ten or something. But even if ya weren't tired, that medicine would knock you out on your ass within an hour anyway. Try to get some proper shut eye, alright?"

"Alright dad," Mike chuckled, ruffling his younger brother's hair before heading off to his room. "Night!"

"Morning dude!" Ronnie called in a fairly singsong voice, finishing up the mess that was the remainder of his pancakes.


	2. Second Verse, Worse than the First

**Alrighty, second chapter coming up now. Took a bit longer to try and think of how it should go, since I'm wanting to write more elaborate characterizations/interactions, but it's still a bit stuck in the beginning so not too much in this either. But hopefully I'll get to more unique, varied and silly interactions with the two soon; I have a bunch of ideas already, I just need to get to the point where I can actually make them come to fruition.**

**Well, I got a lot of little ideas that won't work too well for chapters, but they'd be fun little tidbits of interacting hopefully once I get to them. Just silly stuff really, of the two of them being dorks cause that's how I imagine them. Big ass fucking nerds.**

**I just want to write silly shit and for some reason FNaF was the medium I chose to do it, don't look at me.**

**Also, don't trust me with sci-fi stuff. I tried to think of a way the merging works, but I have no idea how solid of an idea it is.**

* * *

><p>Mike's drive to work today was spent mostly in distraction. He had woken up with his mind racing a thousand miles a minute, his brain no longer having the exhaustion from yesterday bogging him down. Just trying to comprehend what the hell had even happened, if all of it was real or if he had the most surreal hallucination ever. None of it felt possible; how a pizzeria had androids instead of normal animatronics, how said androids turned out to be playing some sort of "game" which involved murdering guards, how apparently one of the androids decided to be a "friend" to him all because he fucked up according to him. All of it just felt like some weird fever dream, something completely illogical with no semblance of normality.<p>

He just couldn't wrap his head around the fact he got a job like this. A job that was more a fight for survival than anything, a job which by all accounts shouldn't even be a thing. Or well, maybe it was understandable why the job was needed, given the fact the animatronics were a lot more intricate than anything Mike had heard about. But the whole nearly dying part certainly wasn't necessary, why on earth did the androids find amusement in stuffing guards into suits? He would've thought it was rogue AI that made them aggressive to humans at night, but given how that one animatronic acted towards him that certain sunk that idea.

He was just so _friendly_, it honestly caught him off guard a little. One second he thought he was certain to die, the next he was having a pleasant conversation. He wondered now if it was a trap, if the niceness was just a facade to get him comfortable. But the man just felt so genuine with the way he spoke, so eager for the interaction; he wasn't sure what to think.

He certainly knew he would like to talk to someone different again, something lasting and not just a simple "How you doing?" He hadn't spoken to anyone but his brother as of late, he had gotten so distant with people; it was making him lonely. But he was just so afraid to get involved with people again, not since the last time that went oh so horribly wrong.

He didn't want to be distrusting towards people, but he wasn't sure if he should just be so open to them either. Especially not to a man that otherwise was out for his head, a man that would kill him if he messed up just enough. That should've provoked warning signs right off the bat, that the guy didn't hesitate when he said killing was indeed their goal.

Honestly he felt like a fool for even trusting him as much as he did yesterday, trusting his words that he would be friendly. There's no way he'd know if he'd actually stay true to his word and be a friend to him, or if he'd just walk into that room and drag him off to his doom. But the whole fact he didn't do that yesterday when he very easily could've sorta gave Mike a bit of confidence that the man wasn't a liar; he would still be hesitant towards him, sure, but he'd at least try to be open-minded about it.

Maybe it was just because he was getting so desperate for interactions that he was so agreeable to the idea of being friends with the man. Any other time, he certainly wouldn't have given it a consideration; his fight or flight would've kicked in and said that it was an extremely bad idea. But he wanted to at least give it a shot, risk his own skin at the opportunity for something different.

Besides, he couldn't help the childlike excitement he felt when he found out the man was indeed an android. An android, who would've thought those actually would exist! It was just so bizarre, so completely out of the ordinary; it sparked a deep curiosity in him that very well would've killed the cat. But hey, as the saying goes, satisfaction brought it back, and Mike was certainly satisfied at the results from yesterday.

He was half-tempted to stick his finger in that opening just to feel the wires, to see if it all was for real. Thinking about it now though, he was glad he decided against it; that probably would've just created an awkward scene. Plus, it would've been hard to explain why'd he even did that in the first place, acting so childishly.

All of this however would prove to be futile though if he didn't even make it long enough to talk to the man again. To learn more about this "game," to learn more about the establishment and the bots in general. Just to sate his incredible thirst for thrills at just how different this all was. So he'd have to make sure to stay attentive, to make sure those doors were closed at the right time and the power lasted for the night. He had a feeling things would get rougher as time progressed, so no doubt tonight would be harder than yesterday; though he supposed he'd learn soon enough how this "game" worked.

Mike was startled out of his thoughts when a car horn blared behind him. While he was lost in his train of thoughts, the light had turned from red to green, and he hadn't been paying enough attention to realize it. Swearing a little, Mike pressed his foot to the gas pedal and continued his drive to work. He would think more about this later, he decided. Right now he was starting to get too distracted, and that was a dangerous thing to do on the road. And if he were to die soon, he certainly didn't want to go out in something as ungraceful as a crash.

—

Mike spun the chair around a few times, putting his bag on the back of it and sitting down. He had arrived to work a few minutes early, so hopefully that would mean he could have some time to adjust before the "fun" started. Taking the tablet off the desk, he switches the cameras over to both the show stage and to Pirate Cove. So far none of the animatronics seemed to have become active, as the three on the stage were still present and the curtain in the cove was closed.

Mike sighed out, relieved that he didn't come into work with this already starting. Setting the tablet on his lap, he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. Alright, second night now, he could handle this. Just needed to make sure to keep calm, stay collected and remain focused. Hopefully tonight would be a bit easier on his heart than yesterday was, now that he sort of knew what to expect.

A few minutes had passed, now becoming 12 o'clock. Mike jumped a bit again when he heard the phone ring, opening his eyes up and sitting up straight. Oh right, there was that phone guy who said he would call again the other night. He honestly forgot about it during all the excitement yesterday, as it had been such a normal thing in comparison to everything else that happened. Picking up the phone, Mike put the phone to his shoulder and held it in place.

"Hello?" Mike said, straightening up some more as he did.

"Uhh, Hello? Hello?" the same nervous voice from yesterday spoke from the other line. "Uh, well, if you're hearing this and you made it to day two, uh, congrats! I-I won't talk quite as long this time since Freddy and his friends tend to become more active as the week progresses. Uh, it might be a good idea to peek at those cameras while I talk just to make sure everyone's in their proper place. You know…"

Mike heeded the advice and turned the tablet back on. He had left the camera off at Pirate Cove, and saw that the curtains were still closed in that area. Switching to the show stage however showed that Bonnie was already absent from their spot. Flipping through the cameras a few times, he finally found Bonnie walking down the west hall. Well, they sure weren't wasting any time, were they?

The message continued as Mike kept looking at the cameras, "Uh… Interestingly enough, Freddy himself doesn't come off stage very often. I heard he becomes a lot more active in the dark though, so, hey, I guess that's one more reason not to run out of power, right?" Well, that was a good hint to know, Mike supposed. Though granted, Freddy wasn't exactly going to be the only reason he wouldn't want to run out of power, so maybe it was a bit of a useless hint.

"I-I also want to emphasize the importance of using your door lights. There are blind spots in your camera views, and those blind spots happen to be right outside of your doors. So if-if you can't find something, or someone, on your cameras, be sure to check the door lights. Uh, you might only have a few seconds to react… Uh, not that you would be in any danger, of course. I'm not implying that." Mike wondered why the guy seemed to be fairly insistent on the idea that this wasn't anything dangerous. Was he perhaps trying to keep Mike calm enough by giving false reassurance? Didn't exactly work if that was the intent.

"Also, check on the curtain in Pirate Cove from time to time. The character in there seems unique in that he becomes more active if the cameras remain off for long periods of time. I guess he doesn't like being watched. I don't know." Well, bit late to the draw for that; Mike already found that out the hard way yesterday. He could still remember that horrible shriek that sounded when he had entered the room, making his ears vibrate and head hurt something awful.

"Anyway, I'm sure you have everything under control! Uh, talk to you soon." The line went dead a few seconds after the message ended. Hanging up the phone, Mike checked to see where Bonnie was now. They were getting pretty close to the office, but weren't quite there yet.

Damn, no kidding when they said they got more active as the week progressed; yesterday it took up until three for Bonnie to make it to his area, but it was barely past twelve now and they were closing in. Mike kept his hand hovered over the left door button, anticipating hearing the footsteps to signal he was no longer alone.

With his other hand, Mike continued looking at the cameras to make sure none of the others had budged. Chica and Freddy still remained on the stage, however Foxy was now peaking out from behind the curtain, staring straight at the camera. God he looked so ominous, his jaw hanging low and his glare unwavering. Mike could still hardly believe that creepy fox was actually a normal looking guy outside of the suit, albeit looking a bit odd what with having a hook for a hand. Certainly kept the theme up, but it was still rather ridiculous.

His eyes glued to the Pirate Cove camera, Mike heard the sound of footsteps coming down the hallway. Not even looking up, he pressed the door button to close the door. After a few seconds, he finally tore his eyes off of the tablet and looked at the left door. Thinking about it, he probably should've checked first to make sure it was Bonnie and not just some noise he heard; he had to save power after all.

Turning on the light button, sure enough he saw a shadow out of the window shaped vaguely like a rabbit. Okay, so it was a good call to close the door, good to know. He knew that for whatever reason neither Bonnie nor Chica would immediately enter the room when they got outside the doors, so he really didn't care to find out just how long it would take them before they did decide to come in.

Turning the tablet off for a bit, Mike twirled the device in his hands and sat it back down on his lap. He cracked his fingers and stretched his arms out, getting more comfortable in the seat as he prepared himself for the second night.

—

It was just about to turn two. So far the night wasn't quite as bad as Mike was expecting. Despite the urgency in which Bonnie appeared the first time, they hadn't even come close since, Chica had yet to leave the stage, and Foxy had remained behind the curtain, simply staring at the camera. He would've thought the animatronics would've been more aggressive like the phone guy said they would, but honestly it felt like they were even calmer than yesterday.

In a way it made Mike nervous. Was this some sort of trick to try and get his guard down? Make him feel comfortable and then strike when he was least expecting? He didn't like the idea that it was, so he made sure to keep as attentive as he could. At least so far he hadn't felt as much pain as he did yesterday, what with the nearly constant panic attacks.

Mike stiffened up a bit when he heard a bizarre sound, something he hadn't heard before. He wasn't quite sure how to describe it, but the best he could come up with was a distorted hum of sorts. Looking around the room, he tried to see if it was perhaps coming from somewhere in the area. When he couldn't find anything that looked like it would make that sort of noise, he put the tablet to his ear to see if maybe the noise was coming from it; perhaps as a sign of something being wrong. No such luck, the noise remained at the same volume even with the tablet so close.

He checked the doors just to make sure nothing was outside either of them, and when he saw nothing out of the ordinary his brow furrowed in confusion. Where on earth was that noise coming from? Mike turned on the tablet and checked all the cameras to see if maybe the sound would play on any of them. Still the sound didn't get any louder, and it only furthered the scrunched look on Mike's face. He gave one last look around the room, trying to see if maybe there's something he missed; some sort of other device he hadn't noticed.

When he still couldn't find anything, he sighed out in frustration. Well this was annoying, not knowing where the hell that sound was coming from. Hopefully it would stop soon enough, it was fairly unnerving to listen to. In fact, listening more closely, the hum sounded more like harsh whispering now. It made Mike tense up a little, not enjoying why this noise was playing out.

The noise gradually was getting louder, sounding raspier and harsher the longer time progressed. Mike was starting to get freaked out a bit, covering his ears to see if that would block out the noise. It didn't, and in fact seemed to make the whispering sound clearer. Mike's eyes widened as he heard it get louder and louder, until it felt like it was pounding against his head.

The next thing Mike knew, his vision suddenly was going weird. He thought he could see vague shapes; some were small like children, while most were large like adults. They were all around him, completely blank in appearance—as if ghosts—and even though they had no faces, it felt like they were staring straight at him. He was surrounded, the entire room completely filled with the apparitions. Mike's heart felt stiff, completely frozen to what he was witnessing.

Rubbing his eyes to see if that would clear up his vision, the blackness that was accompanied by the rubbing suddenly flashed other images to his head. Images of the animatronics, staring straight at him with unwavering, bloodshot eyes. Images of words, saying "It's me," over and over. Mike gasped, rapidly opening his eyes widely.

The apparitions were gone now, and the whispering had finally stopped. But his head was now pounding awfully, aching as if someone had just clubbed him. His breathing was heavy, his chest pounding roughly and sweat rolling down his forehead in steady rhythm. What the HELL was that?

Mike was completely terrified at what just happened. Did he really just see ghosts? How come he could still see things with his eyes closed? Why was that whispering sound so intense, so painful? Mike tried to calm himself down, trying to think of a logical explanation.

Once his heart finally started to slow down, Mike took in a deep breath and breathed out slowly. Calming himself down a bit, he turned himself to his bag and opened it up, checking to see if he hadn't forgotten to take his antipsychotic. He was pretty sure he did—he always took it as soon as he woke up so he wouldn't hallucinate during the night—but once his head had settled down from the initial shock, there was no doubt in his mind that what he experienced were hallucinations.

Taking out the pill container that had different slots for the day, he opened it up to Monday's section. Sure enough, the pill wasn't present, meaning he had indeed taken it. Oh great, did that mean the medicine wasn't working now? He knew it would've had to kick in by now, given he took it hours ago. Sighing tiredly, he closed up the slot and put the pills back in his bag. Welp, guess that was something he had to bring up with his psychiatrist; damn pills weren't working all of a sudden.

He had a love-hate relationship with his hallucinations. On one hand, sometimes his hallucinations weren't that bad; it would be bizarre things or weird noises that would honestly get more of a chuckle out of him than anything. But most of the time they terrified him, making him feel unsafe, uneasy. And that certainly was one of the more unsettling hallucinations he'd experienced; not at all like the silly ones he sometimes got.

He did remember the doctor had said it wasn't a cure all for him, that he'd still probably have hallucinations here and there, but hopefully not as frequently or as intensely. But that was a fairly bad one, one that made him feel sore once it was all over with. He usually didn't experience ones that were psychosomatic, but when he did he always felt like a complete mess afterwards.

Sighing loudly and rubbing his hand down his face, he tried to ignore the pounding feeling in his skull and looked at the tablet, making sure none of the animatronics had gotten close during his spell. Bonnie had moved to the dining area again, but everyone else was still in their place. Good, least that meant he wasn't completely in danger just yet.

Mike leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes again and breathing slowly; trying to get his nerves back in order. Well damn, there goes the relaxed feeling he had felt so far this night. Hopefully the animatronics kept being fairly inactive tonight; he felt like it was gonna take him a while to get over this.

—

It was just a little bit past four now. The night had gotten a bit rougher over time; Bonnie had come a few times for a startle, Chica had started to become active, and Foxy was now outside of the curtain, looking absolutely ridiculous. Honestly, if he was supposed to look creepy with that weird head turn, it really failed awfully; he looked more like he was picking something out of his teeth than be intimidating. Well, there was a certain creepiness in just how crooked the head was, but it still looked more silly than anything.

Mike hadn't experienced any more hallucinations since that episode happened, and his head was gradually starting to hurt less. It took him a good hour to really get calm again, but now he felt more relaxed and honestly a bit tired. And hungry, he certainly was getting hungry. Well, good thing he actually packed a lunch this time, unlike yesterday. He sat the tablet on the desk for a moment, and turned himself around to get access to his bag.

Mike unzipped his bag, pulling out the sandwich bag from one of the compartments and opened it up. It was a simple sandwich; a turkey, ham and cheese one, as he didn't really have much motivation to make anything more complex. Just wanted something that would last him until he got home. Pulling the sandwich out of the bag, he scrunched up the plastic baggy and gave it a toss in the trash, before taking a bite.

Taking the tablet back off the desk, he sat it in a comfortable position so he could access it still while eating. Swallowing the bite he had taken, he took another as he switched the cameras over to find the others. Bonnie was in the supply closet for whatever reason, Chica was in the restroom area, Freddy still was ever present on the stage, and Foxy… wasn't in Pirate Cove. Uh oh.

Mike couldn't hear running coming for the hallway, so he flipped to the west hall to see if he could find him. There wasn't a trace of the animatronic fox anywhere; not in the first section of the hallway nor the second section towards his office. Huh, then where the hell was h-

"What'cha doin' there lad?"

Mike jumped hard as he accidentally inhaled a bit of the sandwich. Coughing roughly to get the food dislodged from this throat, he spat out the bite of sandwich and gagged. Once he finally got the food out with a bit of phlegm, he took in a shaky breath, wheezing a little as he did. Looking up from the tablet, he was greeted to the presence of the man from yesterday, who had the biggest shit-eating grin plastered on his face.

"Augh, holy SHIT, could you _not_ do that?" Mike said rather exasperatedly, clutching his chest to calm his now pounding heart.

Foxy gave a light chuckle before backing away a bit, "Sorry 'bout that, didn't mean ta nearly kill ye there. Just thought I'd have a bit o' fun, ye know?"

"Yeah, fun for you maybe, but fuck all good for me. Scared the shit outta me man, jesus," Mike coughed out, setting the tablet and the sandwich on the desk as he leaned over to pick up the chunks he spat out.

Foxy moved more out of the man's way, letting him have better access to the desk and crumbs. "Well hey, look on tha bright side; ye'd have tha most unique death outta 'em all if ye did choke. Be tha one that got away from us before we could do a thing, eh?"

"I'd rather not die at all, thanks," Mike tossed the chunks of sandwich in the trash before leaning back in his chair, crossing his arms and giving the man a stern look.

Foxy just chuckled more, clearing off a little spot on the desk to sit down on it. "Well, ye made it pretty far yer second night Mike! Good job, not that many people get that far. Usually don't check tha cove enough ta stop me; quite a shame too. But ye did a pretty good job checkin' in this time, I'm impressed!"

"Ah, yeah, thanks I guess," Mike said, uncrossing his arms as he went to pick up the tablet and sandwich again. "Honestly a bit shocked you even came. Thought you were just teasing about the friendliness, ya know? Like why would you be friendly if you're still wanting to kill me, seems a bit counterproductive."

"Well I don't exactly _want_ ta kill ye lad; just a part o' tha job. Sorta can't go against Freddy's wishes an' all that, 'specially since I owe him a fair bit," Foxy adjusted his position to be more comfortable, leaning his back against the wall.

"Don't exactly get how killing guards is part of the job, but whatever. Questioning it isn't going to get you guys to just suddenly stop trying to kill me, will it?"

"Nay, it won't. But if it makes ye feel better, I'm in tha same boat with ye on how killin's necessary. So yer not alone there at least." Foxy shrugged a bit as he spoke, emphasizing how he didn't really know why Freddy did what he did.

"Good to know, I suppose."

"So matey, since ye made it this far, means ye finally get a chance ta learn 'bout how this lil game works! That's more than ye could say a lot o' people here would know, after all. Give ye just that bit o' edge ta make it!"

"Wow, you're really keeping your word on that? Would've thought that would take out too much of the thrill," Mike leaned his chair back, about to take a bite when he stopped himself. "Ah, ya mind if I eat while we talk? Pretty hungry here."

"Nay, don't mind a bit lad. An' aye, Cap'n Foxy ain't a liar now! Told ye I'd tell ye, an' that be tha sailor's word!" Foxy leaned his body forward, resting his arm on his knee and smiling a small smile. "Unless o' course ye don't wanna know how this deal works. Bit o' a daredevil, are ye?"

Mike took a bite of his sandwich before shaking his head, "No, nah realleh," he said with his mouth full, muffling some of the words a bit.

Foxy chuckled out again. "Where be yer manners lad? Didn't yer mother ever tell ye not ta talk with yer mouth full?"

Mike shrugged at that, swallowing the bite and taking another.

"Anyway, best get ta explainin' this; I'll start off with tha basics. Alrighty, ye know that there be four o' us, right?"

Mike nodded, trying to keep quiet as he ate.

"Well, each o' us act a bit differently from one another. Bonnie an' Chica's way o' play is similar, but not quite tha same, while Freddy an' I deal with tha game in our own way. It's not too hard ta get, so hopefully ye won't run inta any troubles rememberin' how we work. Note though, I won't be repeatin' it, so best keep yer ears peeled matey."

"Sure sure, I get it. Not entirely sure if I'll just trust you right off the bat, what with you being a_ potential murderer_ and all," Mike said, eying the man as he spoke. "But I can at least humor you with what ya say."

"Like I said lad, I'm not a liar. But I suppose it be pretty understandable ta be a bit cautious, so I don't blame ye," Foxy put his arms behind his head as he leaned back on the wall again, crossing his legs as he kept trying to find a way to be comfortable. Hard to do that with a desk being your seat.

"Anyway, Bonnie an' Chica both play tha game similar ta each other, with tha only real difference bein' activeness an' which way they come from. Bonnie is tha most upfront out o' us, bein' tha one yer gonna see tha most often, an' always comes from tha left side. Chica isn't quite as active as Bonnie, but still more so than Freddy an' I, an' always comes from tha right."

Mike nodded a bit, picking some sandwich out that was stuck in between his teeth.

"Both o' 'em act practically identical though; they both will wait outside tha door fer as long as yer lookin'. AKA, as long as yer eyes are peeled fer 'em, an' ye aren't starin' at tha cameras while tha doors are open with 'em there, they won't be a bother. They prefer ta startle more than actually do anything, so in honesty they'd probably be tha least likely ta get ye; just may not seem like it since they're so active, ye know?"

Mike had a look of understanding on his face when he said that. "Well hell, that explains why they don't just immediately come in when they come. Was wondering if that had any reasoning behind it."

"Aye, there's a good reason fer it. Like I said yesterday, Freddy's tha only one who really cares 'bout this game any; rest o' us just play along. Now, there's a wee bit o' an exception ta how they work; if ye look at tha cameras briefly when they _just_ appear, they'll wait a bit longer before they actually go in. Give ye some o' time ta react. Not much though, so better act fast if ye blunder up like that. Ye have ta make sure ye don't look at tha cameras long; look too long an' they'll take advantage o' yer callousness."

"I'll try not to mess up then. Usually can hear when they're coming anyway, so I guess I won't have much trouble with them," Mike took another bite of his sandwich, intently listening to Foxy's explanation.

"Aye, probably not. Tha two o' 'em have tha least amount o' kills fer a reason, after all. Chica slightly less than Bonnie, but still a fairly close game. Now, better bring this up so ye don't just leave tha doors open an' have a starin' contest with 'em both. Tha longer ye leave the doors open when they're out, tha better tha chance they'll just completely disable tha doors an' lights. They're capable o' emitting a sort o' frequency that makes them unable ta work fer a good day, so ye really best not lose yer one salvation matey. Best ta just always have tha doors close when they're 'round."

"Alright, good to know I suppose. Wouldn't just keep the doors open around them anyway, but that's pretty good incentive to do it even less than I would have," Mike finished up the rest of his sandwich, brushing the crumbs off of his hands. "Ah, if we could go off topic for a bit, just wanted to ask something. Ya said Bonnie and Chica had the least amount of kills; which one of you have the most then? Sorta a pointless thing to ask, I'm just pretty curious."

Foxy frowned pretty deeply when the man asked him that question. Honesty was a topic he was hoping to avoid, but looks like that wasn't going to happen now. Then again he probably shouldn't have mentioned how Bonnie and Chica had so few kills between them. Letting out a sigh, Foxy rubbed his face as he replied, "Ta be honest with ye, despite tryin' ta have as passive o' a role as possible, I do. People just… People don't check Pirate Cove enough. Wasn't really expectin' ta have that 'honor,' but I've done this so long it would feel weird if I just stopped how I played along now."

Mike followed suit in frowning when Foxy said that. He would've thought Freddy would've had the most kills, given how Foxy stressed so much that he was the only one who took the game seriously. So hearing it was actually this friendly man that had the most blood on his hands made him quite nervous. Scooting his chair back a little, he replied in a fairly weak voice, "Well I guess I know who to give the most attention to."

Foxy looked rather sad at how the man was acting now. He didn't blame him a bit, he deserved being treated with hesitance for what he did. But it still hurt fairly badly, especially since he was trying to be as friendly as he could. "Honestly, since ye have an idea o' how I work, I'm not as big o' a threat as I seem. Mostly just seem it cause most people don't know ta check tha cove constantly. But since ye do, I probably won't give ye much hassle. I know I went over how I worked yesterday, but do ye need a refresher?"

"Thought you said you weren't gonna repeat?"

"Well, this be an exception. Do ye need me ta repeat or nah?"

"Nah, I think I understand pretty well. As long as I check the Cove for your movements, and as long as I close the door when I hear running, I shouldn't run into any issues with you; right?"

"Aye, that's correct. One bit o' info I didn't care ta mention yesterday, I only come from tha left side. Bit too much hassle ta run all tha way ta tha right, ye know? So no worries 'bout me comin' from tha right."

"Alrighty then, seems simple enough," Mike had his legs crossed at this point, relaxing more in his chair as he tried to ease his nervousness. "So I guess from what you're saying, Freddy's the most difficult to deal with?"

"Aye, that he is. He's tha one ye really have ta be worried about, since he's by far tha most aggressive. Like Chica, he only comes from tha right; however, unlike Chica, he won't wait fer ye at tha door. As soon as he reaches that office, he's gonna waltz right in an' take ye down. So ye really have ta pay attention ta where he is, an' have that door closed when he's close." Foxy was absentmindedly drumming his fingers on his legs, tapping in an unfamiliar rhythm.

"Doesn't help he also tries ta stay out o' sight too; sneaky devil he is. So ye really have ta pay attention with him, cause ye never know if tha only thing ye'll be able ta see o' him is his beady eyes. Though there is a bit o' a clue as ta know if he's approachin'. He tends ta laugh when he moves, an' his laugh is quite boisterous; yer bound ta hear it. So that could be a good indicator o' when ta check if he's close. Doesn't always laugh though, so it's not tha most reliable way o' checkin' on him. But it's somethin' at least."

Mike nodded at his words. He was about to ask another question that was nagging his mind, but Foxy continued on before he could start.

"Freddy's also tha only one who'd get ye if ye run out of power; darkness is his domain, so we take a back seat even if we were close ta strikin'. So try not ta run out o' power, alright? He does wait a bit before attackin' in tha dark; adds a bit o' tension, ye know? But it's usually no longer than a minute, so don't go thinkin' ye'll be able ta outlast him in tha dark. Or better hope ye run out o' power just before six."

"Alright then. Uh, got a bit of a question again; if Freddy is so dangerous, why didn't he become active yesterday? And why didn't he get active tonight?"

"Ah, that's where we get inta tha second part o' tha explanation! Tha mechanics. Tha game has a fair bit o' rules goin' fer it, not just how we act," the pirate adjusted his position once again as he went to explain the next part. Sure was fidgety today.

"Dependin' on tha night o' tha week, tha game is gonna be a bit different. Monday's tha startin' point, an' Sunday is when things wrap up. As ye can probably guess, as tha nights go by, tha nights will get harder. So while Monday will be a breeze most o' tha time, Tuesdays would be a bit more complicated, an' so would Wednesday; an' so on an' so forth."

Mike was just staring at the man now as he listened to the explanation go on. Sounded pretty similar to what the phone guy said, so he supposed this part was at least believable if the man wasn't quite as honest as he said he was. He rested his hands on his lap, interlacing his fingers together.

"Saturday is consecutively tha hardest night though, since Sunday works differently from tha others. While Sunday has a chance o' bein' an absolute nightmare, Saturday's tha night that's likely ta give ye tha most trouble. An' that reason is 'cause Sunday is officially known as tha random night."

Mike raised his eyebrow a bit, giving the man a quizzical look, "Random night?"

"Aye, random night. It's tha night where our activity is anywhere between non-existent ta borderline impossible ta deal with. An' tha reason fer that is cause Freddy assigns us a random number fer tha night. Dependin' on how high or how low it is, it completely determines how we act; one bein' tha lowest activity, an' twenty bein' tha highest. So tha lower tha number, tha better. Sunday's a bit o' an oddball like that."

Foxy propped a leg up on the desk, constantly moving as he chatted. "So Sunday could either be tha easiest day ta deal with, if he assigns us all as ones, or it could be yer death wish, given he assigns us all twenty. Bit o' a luck o' a draw it is, but it keeps tha game a fair bit more excitin' ta Freddy. Usually though, Freddy doesn't go beyond ten in his assignments; not entirely sure how he decides tha numbers meself, but it usually remains single digits from what I've seen. So tha night ends up bein' fairly challengin', but still an easier deal than Saturday."

Mike nodded at his words, understanding pretty well so far. "Alrighty then, doesn't really explain why Freddy hasn't moved though."

"Gettin' there, gettin' there. Anyway, Freddy an' I have certain ways o' actin' dependin' on tha day. Fer me, I usually don't cause any trouble on Mondays, even if ye check only seldomly; only exception bein' like ye did yesterday, an' how ye didn't check tha cove at all."

"Excuse you, I _did_ check the cove," Mike crossed his arms again, giving a pouty look.

"One look through is hardly what I'd call checkin', lad."

"Touché, captain."

"Back on subject then, Freddy also has days where he won't be active. Fer tha first three nights, he won't be a problem unless ye run outta power. Startin' on Thursday though, that's when he becomes an issue; an' up 'til tha start o' tha next week, he's gonna be yer main worry. So be a bit grateful he isn't active all tha time."

Foxy was gesturing at this point, moving his hands in a sporadic manner to accentuate certain words, "There is a way he won't get off tha stage durin' his active days, but it's extremely uncommon fer it ta happen, so I wouldn't get yer hopes up. Freddy won't leave tha stage if either Bonnie or Chica are still on tha stage; if one o' 'em are still around, no matter what, he's gonna stay in place. Like I said though, it's very unlikely fer either o' 'em ta stay on tha stage longer than four o'clock, so don't go relyin' on that ta get a break from Freddy."

Mike clicked his tongue in understanding, nodding some more as he uncrossed his arms. "Alright, all sounds pretty easy to get. Freddy's the biggest threat, but he's not always active. You're not active on Mondays, and I assume Bonnie and Chica always are active?"

"Aye, that they are. Bonnie is almost always tha first ta move, but there are some exceptions ta that. But otherwise, yea, they're pretty consistent."

"Okay then, got it. Anything else I need to know?"

"Nay, that's 'bout tha end o' it. Explained as much as I could. Only thing I'll add is somethin' ye probably already knew, but I'm gonna go over just in case. Tha game lasts six hours; from midnight to six. No matter what, tha game will not start any earlier, nor proceed any later. So even if, say, Bonnie had just stepped inta tha room ta nab ye, if that bell sounds off ta signify it's six, then they won't be able ta do a thing. Once that bell plays, tha game's over fer tha night."

"So even if I was certain to die—like, pure moments away from meeting my doom—if that bell goes off you guys won't do a thing?"

"Aye. That bell be yer lifeline matey, ye better appreciate that sound. Gonna be tha most relievin' thing fer ye here."

"Alright then. Mind if I do a quick recap to make sure I got everything?"

"Nay, go on ahead lad. I'll correct ye if ye get anythin' wrong."

"So Bonnie and Chica are always active, and will wait at the doors so long as I'm not looking at the cameras. You're only active if I don't examine Pirate cove, but aren't much of a threat on Mondays. Freddy won't be active until Thursday, and will reset once Monday rolls back around; however, he won't waste any time getting in the room with me."

"Right so far."

"The nights get harder as the week progresses, with the potential exception of Sunday. Sunday is a complete gamble, and there's no way I'd know how any of you would act that day."

"Well, wouldn't quite say that. May tell ye what numbers we were assigned, since I'll still be doin' me visits an' all. Dunno if ye'd understand what they mean, but ye'd at least have some sort o' idea."

Mike nodded a bit again, "Alright, noted. So that should be it?"

"Aye, that's it fer tha game. Pretty easy ta understand, no?"

"Yeah, surprisingly is. Thought it would be a lot more complicated or something, seems pretty straightforward."

"It is pretty easy ta get when ye actually know how it works. Most people don't though, so eh, tough luck ta 'em."

"Okay then, thanks I guess. If I make it outta here alive I guess I know who to thank."

Foxy gave a bit of a cheeky smile at the reply. "Thought I wasn't trustworthy though?"

"Eeeh, I like to give people the benefit of a doubt. Even murderous androids like you."

"Got'cha mate," Foxy slapped his hand against his knee, making a loud smack as he did. "So, now that we have that covered, we can get inta some more interestin' convos! Why not tell me a bit 'bout yerself lad?"

"I dunno man, thought the explanation was sorta interesting. Well, definitely more interesting than talking about me anyway; sorta a nobody, ya know?"

"I'm probably a bigger nobody than ye, ye know. Stayin' in a pizzeria yer entire life does that ta ye."

"You actually do something though. All I do is lay around my house like a fucking asshole."

"I hardly call workin' all tha time 'doin' somethin'.' Ye probably do at least somethin' fun, right?"

Mike pondered at this for a moment. He honestly had no real idea of what to tell about himself. To him he really was an unremarkable person; or, as Ronnie puts it, a borefest. The most exciting thing he ever did was maybe play video games sometimes, and even then that's not an interesting topic to discuss with someone who's probably never touched a video game before.

"Ah… Well, I suppose, but it's really the only kinda fun you can do by yourself. Sorta hard to talk about if you're not informed on the stuff."

"Give it a shot, ye may be surprised."

"Alright then… Well, I play video games when I have free time. Don't really have a specific favorite genre, but I do like games like Minecraft and Pokémon."

Foxy frowned, his face scrunched up a bit. "Ah… 'fraid I can't really talk 'bout that kinda thing. Never have tha time ta play one meself. Seems interestin' though."

"Oh, so you actually know what they are? Would've thought you'd be completely oblivious about them."

"Well, yea. Or well, I know what video games are, not necessarily tha ones ye just said. Sometimes kiddies come in with 'em, so I see a few every now an' then. Not completely ignorant 'bout tha outside world, ye know."

Mike shrugged, completely drawing a blank at what to say now. "That's honestly all I really do that's not just working, eating or sleeping. Like, I mean I guess I listen to music and watch TV too, but that's basic shit everyone does at some point. Don't even leave the house all that often unless it's for work or shopping, I'm really the epitome of uninteresting."

Foxy chuckled a little at the man's modesty. "That's still more than what I do, lad. Last time I left this pizzeria was a good few years ago, an' that was just ta locate someone who left somethin' behind. Yer bound ta have friends, right? Do anythin' with 'em?"

Mike shook his head, frowning. "No, not really. Well, I guess I do _technically_ have friends, but I hardly do anything with them. I can't even remember the last time I've hung out with them; all I really do is text them sometimes, and even then it's really brief interactions. Sorta hard to call them friends. Only person I ever have lasting convos with is my bro, but even then I'm usually asleep when he's awake, or one of us is out to work."

Mike looked up at the pirate now, looking rather sad about just how pathetic he must've sounded. "We've only known each other two nights, yet these bits of talking is the most I've done in ages with someone other than my brother. That ought to give you an idea of how much of a loser I am."

Foxy gave a weak smile at the man, identifying with him quite a bit. "Honestly lad, ye sound a lot like me. Bonnie, Chica an' Freddy are tha closest things I've got ta friends meself, but even then we usually never interact fer any meanin'ful amount o' time. Just brief hellos, or talkin' 'bout how work went. An' while I guess I do see people all tha time, it's always cause o' work. We may have some small talks if they're tha friendly type, but they always feel so short; so empty."

"Well, I guess it's nice to know I'm not the only one with a pathetic life, heh." Mike tried to return the smile, but it was faltering.

"Aye. Bit o' a reassuring feelin', actually."

"Mm-hmm," Mike was wanting to get off this topic now. It was getting fairly solemn, and he didn't wish for the mood to go too sad; especially since he tended to get depressed fairly easily. "Ah… I'm sorry if this may sound pretty intruding, but could I maybe ask a few questions? Just to get us talking about something else."

"Sure lad, go on ahead. Nothin's too personal fer me."

"Alright then… Well, can I ask how you're able to merge with the suit? Sorta been interested in how that works since yesterday."

Foxy perked up at the question, smiling more intensely. He always did love to explain how the merging worked, even if he'd done it so many times; it was such an exciting thing to do.

"Ah, well that's best with a bit o' show-an'-tell! I could show ye how it works, ye'd just have ta follow me ta tha cove so I can get me suit an' enough room ta do me work."

Mike tensed up at that suggestion, not liking the idea of leaving the only area of the restaurant that kept him safe. "Uh, no offense dude, I don't… really feel comfortable leaving the room."

"Don't worry, it'll be safe! Like I said, as long as I'm 'round ye tha others won't try an' get ye!"

"Hnnn, even so, I just… I don't want to leave the room. Not even for curiosity sake."

"Alright then, won't force ye ta do somethin' ye don't wanna do. Probably is a bit much o' me ta ask ye ta trust me so immediately anyway. Perhaps I can show ye 'nother time. However, I still can show ye a lil bit on how it works!"

Foxy raised up his right arm from his lap. Before Mike could even blink, the arm suddenly transformed into a mess of corporeal static; grey, white and jumbled, much like TV snow when it was on a dead channel. Mike's eyes bugged out, his gaze completely glued to the bizarre imagery and his mouth slightly agape.

"Ye see lad, I can break me body down inta these tiny segments o' data. These data bits are capable of fusin' with tha animatronic, integrating meself with tha machinery within. Because o' this, I'm able ta let tha animatronic do a lot more than a basic one could do! Movin' 'round like a person, talkin' like a person, interactin' like a person! It's what makes Freddy Fazbear's Pizza such a unique place!"

"Woah," Mike said, awestruck at what he was witnessing. "D-does it hurt?"

"Nay, just tingles a bit."

"Could I… could I touch it?" Probably was an awkward thing to ask, but Mike was filled with renewed curiosity at just how the android worked.

"Sure, sure. Just be careful; may hurt a bit." Foxy extended his arm out, allowing the man to have access to it.

Mike reached out his own hand to touch the mess of static that was the pirate's arm. Before he could even make contact, a sharp, shocking sensation went through his arm. Yelping out, he pulled his hand back rapidly, shaking it fairly vigorously to try and get the stinging sensation out.

"Ow! Fucking hell, that _hurts_!" Mike was holding his arm now, rubbing it to see if that could soothe the tingling feeling that was now present. It felt like thousands of electrified ants were marching on his arm, it really was an unpleasant sensation.

"I warned ye, didn't I?" Foxy retracted his own arm, before it returned to its normal state.

"Well, yeah, but I wasn't expecting it to do anything _before_ I touched it! Jesus christ, that shit has an area of effect going for it," Mike kept shaking his arm, trying his best to get the uncomfortable feeling out. "It's like a static shock on steroids, holy hell."

Foxy chuckled at the man's words. Certainly was colorful with his language, wasn't he? "Don't worry, it goes away after a few seconds. Yer not tha first person ta ask ta touch it, so I know a bit 'bout how it works."

Sure enough, the stinging feeling gradually faded away until it was nothing more than a tickle. Scratching his arm where it tingled the most, he let out a sigh in relief. "Remind me never to do that again. May not of lasted long, but it was hella unpleasant, christ."

"O' course, o' course. Anythin' else ye wanted ta ask now?"

"Ah yeah, actually do…" He gave his arm one last shake before he rested it on his lap. "Ya mentioned saying you don't do much more than work, but you also said yesterday you really weren't a part of the establishment anymore. How are you working then?"

"Ye really do pay attention ta tha details, don't ye Mike? Never had anyone ask me that before, 'grats on bein' tha first," Foxy leaned back on the wall, crossing his legs once again. "Well, we do more than just entertain tha kids here, fer starters. Honestly we only perform every few hours, an' that's fer tha special shows. Any other time it's normal animatronics doin' tha work; playin' pre-programmed scenarios ta keep tha people entertained while they eat."

"So there _are_ basic animatronics here too?"

"Well, they aren't exactly new animatronics entirely. It's just tha suits without us in 'em. They still work even if we aren't present, they just can't do tha complicated stuff."

"Oh, well that's pretty cool! So what do you do then if entertaining's not the only thing?"

"Each o' us have other jobs we do 'round tha pizzeria when we aren't performin'," Foxy started to count off with his fingers as he spoke. "Freddy's tha manager, Chica's a cook, Bonnie's a greeter an' seater…" he gestured towards himself once he made it to him. "An' yers truly is a server! Honestly we're not all that different from employees; tha only difference is we aren't paid ta do tha work. Free labor fer livin' here, eh?"

Mike hummed in understanding. "So I guess that means you serve all the time then?"

"Aye. Haven't performed in well o'er twenty years now," Foxy had a wistful look on his face, reminiscing to the old days when he used to be a more active part of the pizzeria. He understood quite well why they discontinued his show, and honestly he felt like he should be thankful he wasn't turned to scrap as a result, but he never could help but feel rather purposeless without his performances.

"Can I ask why? Your show honestly seemed the most interesting out of the bunch, so I don't exactly get why they'd just cancel you like that."

Foxy frowned fairly deeply at the question, furrowing his brow, "Ta be frank with ye lad, I don't particularly care ta talk 'bout it right now. It's… it's a rough story. Ta put it simply fer now, it was a really bad accident that couldn't afford repeats. So I was decommissioned as a result."

Mike nodded a bit, looking concerned at the sudden change of emotions. The pirate had said nothing was too personal, yet this quite clearly was a sore spot for him. He wouldn't egg him on about it, even though his curiosity burned ferociously to know. But he did want to know one thing at the very least. "Was it whatever 'The Bite of '87' was? Cause I've heard about it, but never actually learned about what happened."

"Aye, people called it 'The Bite o' '87' once it was all said an' done. Made me become infamous, it did. Like I said though, I don't really feel like talkin' 'bout it today. Perhaps tomorrow, or just 'nother day in general."

"Alright, I'll be patient then. Sorry if I went too personal there."

"Nay, yer fine. Just want some time ta think o' tha best way ta explain it, is all. Ye did nothin' wrong."

"Feels like I did though. You just… you look really upset."

Foxy sighed quietly, giving the man a gentle look. "All ye did was ask a question, that's hardly anythin' worth scoldin' fer. Besides, I 'ppreciate yer curiosity; makes things a bit more interestin'. Gives me a reason ta talk, ta actually do somethin' different." The pirate gave Mike a small smile as he spoke, letting him know he wasn't in a bad mood because of him.

Mike returned the smile and nodded again. "I'm just glad I didn't utterly ruin your mood. Got a bit worried when you frowned so badly, and I'm always terrified of messing up a conversation like that."

"Ye an' me both lad. Nothin' more discouragin' than when somethin' fun takes a turn fer tha worse."

"Mmm," Mike tapped his foot to the floor, thinking up a new question to ask. "Well, something else I've been really curious about is why the hell a pizzeria uses androids anyway. Like surely it would just be cheaper or easier to use basic animatronics? And it seems like a really impractical use of such advance technology."

Foxy shrugged at the question, not really knowing a good answer. "Like I said yesterday, I dunno why they made us either. By all accounts yer right, it seems like a really pointless endeavor ta do somethin' like this fer such an insignificant place. Yet we're still here, livin' an' existin'."

"What I really don't get is… is just how advanced you seem to be. You're so human-like, it's hard to believe you actually are a robot. But sure enough, what I saw yesterday and today's made it pretty apparent you're not human."

"Well they did make us ta be as similar ta humans as possible; ta make us be indistinguishable ta tha normal eye. I'd say they did a pretty good job."

"No kidding man. Like I can't even see any seams or bolts or whatever that would make it at least apparent that something's off; something that shows you're artificial. It's really quite incredible, knowing such technology actually exists outside of fiction! Just… wasn't expecting it to be used in a pizzeria of all places."

Foxy smiled at the man's enthusiasm. He certainly was different from all the other guards he had talked to before. So full of life, of passion, of curiosity for the unknown. It was invigorating talking to him, and he'd only known him for two days now. He wondered if this excitement would last, if he would keep being so interesting.

Foxy looked up at the clock, and jumped a bit when he noticed the time. It was 5:12, and he had arrived to the office at 4:09. "Oh blimey, overstayed me welcome a bit! Whoops." He got up from the desk and stretched himself. "Well, 'least Freddy ain't active yet, so I won't have ta hear him complainin'."

Mike frowned, remembering now that these bits of interacting were only temporary. "Wow, it's already been an hour? It really didn't feel like it."

"Aye, it really didn't! Quite a nice change o' pace, time usually feels like it goes so slow here." Foxy gave an earnest smile to the man, "Well lad, I look forward ta talkin' ta ye some more! Maybe I can sate some more o' yer curiosity tomorrow, if ye still have questions an' all that."

"That would be nice. This place seems like it has a lot more character than it lets on, so it'd be great to learn some more on it."

"Aye, it does. Whether it be good or bad character is entirely up ta ye though," Foxy nodded at the man, walking to the left doorway. "Well, be seein' ye matey! Remember, check Pirate Cove!" He waved a farewell as he disappeared down the hallway.

Mike smiled as the man left. Well, that certainly was a lot of fun; Mike couldn't remember the last time he enjoyed having a conversation like that. Perhaps it was just because he was so interested in the bizarre android, to learn more about how he worked. He always was a curious soul, so learning about just how different the pizzeria is certainly helped to give encouragement to a grim situation. He'd have to think up of more things to talk about though, or think up some other ways of socializing. Otherwise he could easily lose momentum with the interacting, and he certainly didn't want to do that so soon.

Mike took a look at the cameras again as he prepared himself for the final hour of work. Looking at the dining area, he saw two different people sitting in chairs, appearing to be having a conversation. Close by he could see the animatronic suits of Bonnie and Chica sitting on the floor; so this must be what the two looked like outside of the suits.

He saw the two of them look towards the west hallway, and as such they got up to put the suits back on. Presumably anyway, as the camera went dead shortly after they got up; he wondered what caused the cameras to freak out like that. Faulty crafting? Old age? At least it didn't seem to knock out all the cameras this time; just the one in the dining area.

Mike switched the camera to Pirate Cove, watching as the man walked into view and then disappear behind the curtain. He kept looking at the cove for a few moments, waiting to see if the fox would peak out from behind again. Sure enough, the animatronic was now present behind the curtain, looking at the camera intensely. Didn't waste any time getting back into business, did he?

He did one final look to make sure Freddy was still present on the stage. When he saw the bear was indeed still there, he turned the tablet off and breathed slowly. Time to start up the game again. He'd have to pay attention to how the animatronics acted to see if the pirate was indeed telling the truth, but he couldn't help but feel trusting to his words. It explained quite a few things that had Mike confused, after all.

Mike took a look at the display on the wall. 32% power left. That hour certainly helped to save power, at the very least.

—

"Welcome back dude! You look a lot better than you did yesterday, night went smoother this go around?"

Mike was immediately greeted by his brother as soon as he walked into the apartment. Ronnie was sitting on the couch, still dressed in his PJs and eating a bowl of cereal; the TV turned on to some early morning cartoons.

Mike nodded as he tossed his bag into the armchair close by. "Yep, went a lot better this time since I knew what was coming. Still wasn't exactly what I'd call smooth, but it certainly wasn't as rough as yesterday."

"So stuff still happened to get ya worked up? Damn, just what are you doing at that job man."

Mike plopped down next to Ronnie, relaxing on the couch and stretching his legs out. "Eh, wasn't really the job that got me riled up. Just ended up having a hallucination that caught me off guard for a while. Hadn't had one so badly in ages, not since I started taking that medicine anyway. Guess it was caused by stress at the new job, I dunno."

Ronnie frowned when Mike brought that up. He always was concerned when Mike mentioned his hallucinations, mostly because of what happened in the past with them; how he would freak out for hours, be in intense pain, or just feel like an emotional wreck once it was all said and done. "How bad was it dude?"

"Gave me a bit of a headache, but it went away after a few hours. And of course, scared the shit outta me when it was first happening. But I think I handled it pretty well, at least when compared to other episodes I've had." Mike was staring at the TV now, watching the show that was playing. On the screen, a mouse was trying to outwit a cat, using various things in their path to slow the cat's progress.

"Well that's good at least. Ya took your medicine, right?"

"Of course, that was the first thing I checked once it was all over with. Hopefully this isn't a reoccurring thing, otherwise I'm probably gonna have to bring it up with the doctor and get new medicine. And I really don't wanna go through the hassle of more medicine, bleh."

Ronnie nodded as he took a bite of cereal, crossing his legs as he sat. A meow was heard as a fluffy calico cat walked into the room, jumping on the arm of the couch next to Ronnie. "Oh hell no cat, you ain't getting my food again. Already had to dump a bowl out cause your fat ass drank the milk." He held the bowl away from the cat, giving it a stink-eye as he did.

The cat walked across Ronnie's lap, making Ronnie move the bowl away once again. The cat didn't seem interested in the cereal, as it walked promptly on Mike's lap before settling down, purring quite intensely.

"Daw, hey there Fluffers!" Mike said, picking up the cat and snuggling his face into the colorful fur. The cat meowed gently at the movement, rubbing its head against the man's face. "Daaaw, whoosa good kitty kitty." He spoke in a bit of a baby voice, cooing at the cat.

"That cat is over ten years old, I'm pretty sure it doesn't need baby talk." Ronnie said as he moved the cereal back in his lap, staring at his brother.

"All animals are babies though, no matter the age. And Fluffers is my baby, yes she is!" Mike petted the cat now, adjusting her position to lay more comfortably on his lap. He had always been a sucker for animals—big, fluffy cats especially—so Fluffers had been the source of his adoration ever since he first adopted her. And he couldn't help but act more than a little bit embarrassing whenever she came around.

Ronnie shrugged as he went back to staring at the TV. The mouse now had a gun, and had just set it off in the cat's face; causing the cat to lose their fur and get soot all over them. Ronnie never actually got how the stuff was meant to be humorous, but hell, it was just some mindless kid cartoon. Not really much room for complaints in it.

"So, ya talk to that guy today or whatever? Or was he just making shit up?"

Mike's eyes were glued to the TV, absentmindedly petting the cat as he watched. "Mm-hmm, we talked. Wasn't about much, he just explained a bit about how the pizzeria worked and all that, and what he actually did around the place. But it was a nice waste of an hour. Don't know how long I'll be able to last with convos though, since I'm literally the worst at talking; but I'm looking forward to chatting with him some more."

"It's always pretty hard to just come up with stuff on the fly. I'm just glad you're actually talking with people again; you've sorta become reclusive, ya know? Like when was the last time you even hung out with Sandra or Derrick?"

Mike sighed out at the question. He had a point, he had gotten distant with old friends, even if that wasn't his intent at all. He just couldn't find much energy to leave the house as of late for anything other than important stuff. Sure, it was probably a bit much to just assume his friends would come to him to chat, but it was honestly the only way he was able to talk as of late; if people came to him first.

"I dunno man, been a while for sure. I mean it's not like I don't like them anymore, it's just… It's been hard to talk to people it feels like. Like sometimes it's even hard to chat with you, and we fucking live together." Mike stroked the cat some more, eyes unwavering from the TV. "I didn't mean to go all hermit on people, it just… sorta happened."

Ronnie was drinking the milk from the bowl now, finishing off the rest of his cereal. He wiped his mouth when he was done and gave his brother a meaningful look. "Is it cause of Louis? Sorta noticed ya got all distant after that fiasco."

Mike flinched hard when Ronnie said that name. It wasn't a friendly name in the slightest for Mike; it brought back too many painful memories and not enough pleasant ones. "I… I really don't want to talk about that, please. Still a bit of a sensitive subject for me."

"Right right. Sorry 'bout that. Probably was too far of me to even think of it." Ronnie put his hand on his brother's shoulder in a comforting gesture. "Well, whatever reason you have, I'm just glad it isn't something permanent. Ya sorta felt all lifeless since ya started doing that, ya know?"

Mike frowned at his words. Had he really gotten so bad in demeanor? He hadn't noticed himself, but then again it was probably hard to see how you change over time. Mike shrugged, moving the cat from off his lap as he stood up. "Gonna get me something to munch on now; pretty hungry, after all."

Ronnie nodded, holding out his bowl towards Mike as he did. "Could ya put this in the sink while you're in there? Since you're going to the kitchen and all."

"Sure sure." Mike took the bowl from Ronnie and went towards the kitchen. He sorta felt bad for abruptly ending the conversation like that, but he simply had no idea what else to say. And his mood had gotten a fair bit more sour after Ronnie mentioning he-who-shan't-be-named; he thought he was over it by now, but sure enough, hearing that name utterly ruined his mood in no time.

Putting the bowl in the sink, Mike went to the cupboard and took out a granola bar. He didn't have much effort to make anything, so he'd just snack until he did. Opening the wrapper, he took a bite as he sat down in the chair, leaning it back as he did so.


	3. Three's a Crowd

**Third chapter here we go. Took me a bit to start writing this one, since the beginning I had an idea for but didn't have much idea on how to get it written for a while. But hopefully I got it now.**

**So FNaF2 came out pretty recently. Turns out it's actually a prequel and not a sequel, so it sorta messed up what I thought the original lore of the game was. However, I'm not really gonna change my story because of it; I started writing it when I only had the first game to work with, and I'm gonna keep writing it as is. Make it even more of an AU that way.**

**Pretty nice game, although it honestly didn't affect me as badly as the first game. The first game's jumpscares startled the crap outta me because the screams for it were really unpleasant, but this go around the sound wasn't that bad. I liked the atmosphere more, and how it better used the sound, though I think the music box sorta ruins it because at the later nights you honestly can't look anywhere BUT the prize room. So it sorta kills a bit of the mood in the fact you can't really monitor the animatronics' progress after a set time. But oh well, guess they needed to make a new Foxy mechanic in some way so as to not let people just camp at the door and vents.**

**The tension also wasn't as good as the first game. Like sure, there's a lot more shit you gotta deal with, but because of that you're almost constantly being attacked. It doesn't build up any suspense like the first game did, cause you're always in alert mode. So it sorta suffers because of that as well, quite a shame.**

**Anyway, getting a bit off topic now, let's get on with the story! I wonder how cheesy it is that I'm making them play another video game in a video game fanfic, eh. Just the beginning anyway. Hope you guys don't mind I'm using an actual game and not just make something up randomly, I really had no idea what kind of video game to just think up so I went the easy route and used a real game.**

**Warning(s): Casually Ableist Language/Gore/Child Death/Child Injury** **[Section Four]**

* * *

><p>"Oh my GOD, there's another tiny pocket of poison I didn't see! Fucking hell, I hate the slime biomes," Ronnie moaned out as his character took damage from stepping in the green liquid. The poison blended in almost completely with the slime, making it nearly impossible to notice segments that were merely a pixel large. He used a bandage to make sure his character didn't die from the damage over time.<p>

"Yeah, it does suck a lot. But slime's easier to mine than fucking obsidian; that shit takes a good ten seconds with the tools we've got right now. We don't really have all that much of a choice," Mike said as he mined out a section of platinum ore he had found.

"Yes we do! Just go to a new planet, it's not like we gotta stick to this shithole! We've got plenty of coal to jump to, like, a desert planet or something!" Ronnie used one of his dirt blocks to cover up the poison as he continued his search for ore.

"But we've never explored a magma planet before, and we haven't even seen how many lower biomes this one has yet! What if we run into a village one, those pixels would be so great to farm there! Where's your sense of adventure?"

"It's where there isn't poison and shit all over the damn place. Come on man, it's not like there'd only be one village biome in the entire game!" Ronnie took out his character's axe as he attacked a creature that came into view. It wasn't aggressive, but they needed the pixels to make better armor.

Mike just made a whiny noise as he kept going lower, blocking off poison he'd see and mining whatever ore caught his eye. He really didn't like to just leave planets without giving them a thorough exploration, and he didn't want to go exploring without Ronnie close by. After all, it was more thrilling when stuff was found together, and not just one person finding it and the other taking a look on the other's screen. "The next layer's bound to be close at this rate, if it turns out it's just the core biome or whatever we'll jump then. Alright?"

"Whatever dude, just don't want to keep using bandages every five secon- oh COME ON!" Ronnie yelled out as he dropped down and landed on yet another puddle of poison.

Mike snickered at his brother's bad luck, putting down a torch to get a better look at the area around him. "Maybe if you went a bit slower, you wouldn't have as much trouble with the poison, eh?"

"Shut up nerd," Ronnie said as he broke a cell structure he ran into, harvesting the cell matter within. "Ronnie don't go slow for no shit! Gotta power through man, live in the moment!"

Mike shrugged at his brother's stubbornness, moving his cursor as he looked around the area. He moused over the bottom a little too far, and caused his toolbar to pop up to block a bit of his game. Mike took a peek at the clock at the corner just for the heck of it, and felt himself go extremely tense when he realized the time. 11:58.

"Oh SHIT, I'm late!" Mike stood up rapidly, his voice panicked at the revelation. He pushed the chair out of the way, stumbling a bit as he ran over to get his bag. "Sorry dude, I gotta go! Could you turn off my laptop for me? Thanks!" He spoke in a rushed tone as he bolted to the door, his bag slapping against his leg as he ran. Opening the door, he slammed it closed behind him, not letting off his pace one bit.

Ronnie blinked as he processed what the hell just happened. Well that was a sudden change of mood if he ever saw it, he'd never seen Mike be so worried about being late before; he'd usually at least put his things away before he left. Shrugging, he got out of his own chair as he went over to Mike's laptop, closing out the game and shutting it down like his brother had asked.

—

Mike drove into the parking lot, parking his car in the spot closest to the pizzeria. He took a look at the car's clock just to see how late he was; 12:10, a few minutes over the time he was supposed to be there. He swore to himself, completely upset that he had let time slip by like that. Turning off the car, he pulled the keys out and looked through the keyring for the pizzeria's key.

He was going to have to use the back door this time, since there was no way he was going to risk using the front door at a time like this. He had no idea if the animatronics were active or not, and he didn't want to take a chance and risk running into one of them before he could make it to safety. That back door was meant for emergencies anyway, and if running late for a game of being murdered wasn't enough of an emergency, he didn't know what would be.

Grabbing his bag, he got out of the car, slamming the door behind him as he went. He did a mad sprint as he ran to the back of the building, holding the key in his hand tightly. Once he made it to the back entrance, he panted hard and leaned himself against the building's wall. God he was out of shape; he got tired of running within a few seconds, and that jog was a good triple the amount he could handle.

When he managed to catch his breath, he held the key in his mouth as he opened up his bag. Fishing around a bit, he pulled out the small flashlight he always carried with him and zipped the bag closed. It was usually pitch black in the restaurant, so he needed the extra bit of guidance to see where he was going. Taking the key out of his mouth, he spat out the metallic taste as he went to unlock the door.

Once the door was unlocked, he pulled the door opened slowly and peeked inside. Turning on the flashlight, he took a look around just to make sure the coast was clear before he entered. Not seeing any traces of the animatronics around the area, he breathed out a sigh in relief. He quietly entered the building, closing the door behind him. He'd lock up the door when it was time to leave; right now he didn't want to waste anymore time being out in the open.

Moving his flashlight towards the location of the office, he tiptoed towards it so as to not make much noise. If the animatronics were active, he _really_ didn't want to give away his position; but part of him just wanted to make a dash for it and not have to be in imminent danger for so long. It was a conflict of worry if there ever was one; should he risk notifying the animatronics of his presence outside of the room and be quick with it, or should he keep stealthy with his approach yet prolong his vulnerability?

He dilemma soon answered itself when he heard a running sound come from the west hallway. Mike's breath caught in his throat when he recognized that sound, and charged towards the office as fast as he could. The footsteps were getting louder and louder, and he could vaguely see the shape of something coming out from the darkness. Letting out a scream, he stumbled into the office and quickly pressed the door button, making the door slam shut behind him.

There was pounding at the door once it was all said and done; three loud bangs in perfect synch with each other. Mike was hyperventilating at this point, clutching his now sore throat as he slid down the door, sitting on the floor and curling up a bit. Fuck, that was way too close; he swore he felt something try to grab at him before he made it. Panting hard, he rubbed his hand down his face as he tried to regain his composure.

Moving the flashlight towards the right doorway, his worry ended up igniting even more as he saw the yellow animatronic stare at him from the window. Trying his best not to scream again, he clumsily got off the floor and rapidly went to press the right door button, tripping over a little as the door came down and crashing lightly into the wall. Mike groaned out, sliding down again and now just laying on the floor; absolutely exhausted from the sudden panics he felt. God, this certainly wasn't a good night, was it? Not even 12:30 yet and he'd nearly died twice. Guess that's what he gets for running late.

Mike sat himself up and breathed out a bit, shakily getting up as he flipped the light switch on. Didn't want to just sit in darkness and waste his flashlight battery, after all. He collapsed into the chair and slumped down in an awkward position, his back nearly to the seat of the chair and his arms tossed over the arms. He made a "pfft" noise, blowing out in exasperation.

He looked up at the wall to see what the screen said. 98% power and three bars of usage. Adjusting his position in his chair so as to sit up, he picked up the tablet from the desk and sat it on his lap. He turned on the door lights to make sure the way was clear of any animatronics before he opened the door again; Chica was still present, but the left side was clear of Bonnie and Foxy. Opening up the left door, he turned the tablet on so he could get an idea of where Bonnie was.

Bonnie apparently hadn't left the stage just yet, which basically confirmed who Mike thought it was that nearly got him. It was terrifying really, knowing Foxy was capable of being so friendly yet still was out to get him ultimately. He couldn't let himself get too comfortable with the pirate, he decided; he knew he shouldn't before, but this experience certainly sealed the deal.

Mike turned off the tablet for a moment, looking at the phone on the desk. A 01 was flashing on the answering machine, indicating a new message. Mike pressed the play button on the machine to see what he missed.

"You have zero old messages, one new message. Wednesday, 12 AM," the machine sounded out before playing the message.

"Hello, hello?" the ever familiar awkward voice spoke out to him. "Hey, you're doing great! Most people don't last this long. I mean, you know, they usually move on to other things by now. I'm not implying that they died. Th-th-that's not what I meant." Mike made another "pfft" noise at that.

"Uh, anyway I better not take up too much of your time. Things start getting real tonight. Uh… Hey, listen, I had an idea: if you happen to get caught and want to avoid getting stuffed into a Freddy suit, uhh, try playing dead! You know, go limp. Then there's a chance that, uh, maybe they'll think that you're an empty costume instead," Mike made an even louder "pfft" noise at that remark; like that's going to fool fucking androids.

"Then again, if they think you're an empty costume, they might try to… stuff a metal skeleton into you. I wonder how that would work. Yeah, never mind, scratch that. It's best just not to get caught," wise words if he'd ever heard any. Don't get caught by the things trying to murder you, brilliant.

"Um… okay, I'll leave you to it. See you on the flip side," the message finished out.

"End of messages," the machine said just as everything went quiet. Mike held down the delete button for about five seconds, before eventually hearing the machine call out, "Messages deleted." He pressed the right door button's light again to see if Chica was still there, and sure enough she was; just staring at him with her beak wide open. Damn, why'd she have to be so campy today?

Mike turned the tablet back on, flipping to the stage and Pirate Cove to make sure the others were still in order. God, he was still shaking pretty badly from what just happened; his hands completely incapable of holding the tablet still at the time. At this rate, he was probably going to drop it, and he really couldn't afford to lose the cameras like that.

Mike sighed out as he leaned back more in his chair, trying to at least get comfortable even if he was still completely on edge.

—

It was now 1:28. Despite the rocky start to the night, things hadn't turned out so bad. Chica had come to visit quite a few times and would stick around for way too long, but Bonnie had yet to leave the stage and Foxy wasn't present behind the curtain. He was still rather upset about the whole running late fiasco, but he'd managed to stop shaking at the very least. His heart still felt like it wanted to explode at any moment though—going awkwardly between beating normally and pounding uncontrollably—and he kept jumping at every little noise he heard.

Mike had pretty much repeated in his head over and over to never do this shit again. He could've sworn the last time he checked that clock, it said it was just about 10:30. He'd have to make sure to not get distracted like that so close to work time, or at least check the clock more often than he usually did. Any other time he wouldn't mind so much; sure, he'd be a bit pissed at himself for letting time slip by like that, but ultimately it wasn't a blunder that would cost him too dearly. This time though, that wasn't the case.

Mike flipped on the tablet again, switching over to the east area to try and find where Chica was. When he heard the racket over in the kitchen area, he knew she had to of been there. Turning on over to Pirate Cove, he felt his heart go stiff when he saw the once closed curtains hanging wide open now. Quickly flipping to the west hall, his worry was calmed when he saw the man walking down the hall and not the animatronic running; showcasing it wasn't a violent encounter. Well, he was pretty early this go around, wasn't he?

Mike switched over to the stage one more time to ensure Bonnie and Freddy were still there, then turned the tablet off and sat it on the desk. After a few moments, he heard a knocking sound coming from the left side. Looking up, he was greeted by the presence of the android; tapping his hand against the wall to signal he was here.

"Ahoy matey, glad ta see ye still be in one piece!" the pirate hailed the man, walking in the room with a hearty smile plastered on his face.

"Yeah, no thanks to you. Holy hell, I'm gonna die of a heart attack at this rate," Mike said in a fairly exasperated tone, staring at the man as he walked in.

Foxy chuckled a bit to himself as he leaned himself against the wall, crossing his arms and staring back. "But I didn't get ye now, did I? Got pretty close, but ye _just_ managed ta sneak on by. Slippery lil bugger, aren't ye? An' quite a pair o' lungs ye got there, heh."

Mike looked fairly annoyed at just how casual the man was about this. He nearly _murdered him,_ yet here he was talking as if he just startled him out of his thoughts. "What were you even doing out so early anyway? It was only like, ten minutes past twelve, and I could've sworn I've gone longer periods than that without looking at the cove!"

"Ah, turns out I did ferget ta mention somethin' 'bout tha game yesterday. Whoops on me part, sorry 'bout that. Tha later it gets in tha week, tha less time I'll wait ta strike, with o' course tha exception o' Sunday if I get assigned a low number. However, I'll wait longer periods if ye at least check every now an' then; tha reason I didn't this time is cause I didn't see that light go on since I started peekin'."

"Sounds like you're honestly more trouble than you let on. Thanks for conveniently leaving that one part out, captain," Mike leaned his chair back as he kept giving the pirate a stink-eye.

Foxy shrugged at that, raising his arms as he gestured. "Like I said, just fergot. Ye checked tha cameras fairly diligently before, so didn't think it'd be much o' an issue. Which reminds me, why were ye outta tha office anyway? That be a certain death wish when I'm not around."

Mike sighed, spinning the chair around in half circles with his leg. "Did a whoops myself and ended up arriving late. Didn't even get out of my apartment's parking lot until it was already twelve; thankfully I don't live too far away though, so I wasn't like, extremely late."

Foxy frowned a bit at that. "Well, that explains why I didn't hear tha door open; was hopin' it was just a case o' I wasn't payin' attention ta notice. Ye really can't run late like that lad, it's far too dangerous. It would be a mighty shame ta see ye die cause o' a blunder like that."

"Oh, trust me, I'm not planning on running late again. In a way, guess I can thank you for that; being moments away from death certainly helped to nail in the idea that it's _really_ not a good idea to do that repeatedly."

"Mmm," Foxy hummed out at what he said. "There be any reason why ye were late? An emergency or somethin'?"

Mike made a "pfft" noise as he shook his head, "Nah, I just wasn't paying enough attention to the time. My brother and I finally figured out how to work the multiplayer in this game we like—Starbound—and I just got too distracted as a result."

Foxy gave a mildly confused look as the lad spoke, "Erm, I know most o' those words. What's a multiplayer an' Starbound?"

"Ah, right, ya don't really know that much about video games, do ya?"

The pirate shook his head, "Nay, just know they exist."

"Alrighty, not too hard to explain. Well, multiplayer is when you get to play together with multiple people, instead of going solo like most games do. It a different way of enjoying a game, especially if you've basically played out the game completely in single player mode. Usually it's best when it's with friends, but sometimes strangers can make an interesting scenario as well; if they aren't just flinging slurs at you for being bad at the game, that is."

Foxy nodded at that, stroking his facial hair as he listened.

"Now, Starbound is the game my brother and I were playing. It's… huh," Mike clapped his hands together as he gave a contemplative look, putting his fingers to his lips. "Mmm, actually it's a bit hard to describe it without using another video game as an example. Crap, uh…" he hummed to himself as he tried to think up a good explanation.

"Take yer time lad."

Mike leaned forward a little, his face scrunched up as he tried to string together words that described the game best. "It's… well, uh, you… you go exploring different planets, and you look for ore to make stuff with. And uh… ya build stuff with blocks you mine or items you find. Ah, it's really hard to explain the base gameplay of it, I'm sorry. I guess the gist of it is you mine, discover and create."

The pirate gave a fairly understanding look, "So it's a game 'bout explorin' an' creatin', eh?"

"Yeah, I guess that's a way of explaining it," Mike nodded in agreement.

"Seems like it be fairly interestin'! I'd probably like it meself; have a certain thrill fer adventure, ye know? Comes with bein' a cap'n an' all! Shame though I probably won't get a chance ta play it, what with management not really givin' us much o' anythin' ta mess 'round with."

"I thought ya said you didn't have any time to do anything outside of work?" Mike said, a bit confused.

"Eeh, bit o' an exaggeration. We do have 'bout eight hours ta kill, since tha pizzeria doesn't open 'til 11 an' closes at 9, an' o' course tha game only lasts from midnight ta 6. It just doesn't feel like it most o' tha time cause we usually don't do anythin' those eight hours. We _do _have some things ta play 'round with, but honestly they're such a mess ta deal with we don't bother most o' tha time. Only if we're _extremely_ bored."

"Oh? What do you got to work with?"

"A computer that barely works, a TV that's probably been 'round since before tha pizzeria even was a thought, an' a radio that plays static most o' tha time. Tha TV's probably tha most functional o' tha bunch, but due ta age tha picture fer it is pretty awful. An' we don't have many channels anyway, so not like we can watch much more than just news programs."

"Damn, that honestly sounds pretty sucky. I dunno what I'd do if I didn't have at least a semi-decent laptop. How badly does the computer work?"

"It takes 'bout two minutes fer it ta open an' load somethin', that's how badly."

Mike flinched slightly at that. Lord, if there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was slow computers. His patience wore out quickly if it took just a few seconds longer than normal to load stuff, so he'd probably be in agony with minutes. "Yeesh, yeah, that sounds pretty awkward to deal with. I guess they're too cheap to upgrade your stuff?"

"Aye, they don't see much point in wastin' any more money on us like that. Honestly, it's incredible we have as much as we do; the stuff's a fairly recent addition, an' it's thanks ta Jennifer that we even got what we have."

"Jennifer?" Mike gave an inquiring look.

"Aye. Jennifer's tha daughter o' tha lad that built us. Took o'er lookin' after us after her ol' man passed on. She understood we got pretty bored 'round tha pizzeria when nothin' was goin' on, so she got tha owner o' tha place ta build an extension ta tha buildin' fer a break room. Went as cheap as he could though, so it's a small room with out o' date technology. Bit ironic, considerin' they spent enough ta make us, but won't spend enough ta at least give us some decent entertainment."

"Yeah, that… doesn't really make much sense. Like I'm pretty sure it was probably more to build half of one of you than it is to buy those three things combined. Unless androids are actually a hell of a lot cheaper than I thought they were, but considering the fact they don't seem to be mass produced, it doesn't seem likely," Mike's brow furrowed when a thought just occurred to him. "Wait a second, if there's a break room, why don't I see it on the cameras?"

"Oh, that's cause there ain't a camera fer tha break room. Never bothered ta even buy one fer it, an' honestly we don't really go in there when tha game's in session. Sorta pointless ta bother with."

"Alright, fair enough I suppose. I guess if they're too cheap to get the kitchen camera fixed, they're gonna be too cheap to get a new camera entirely."

"Mm-hmm. Very strange way o' dealin' with money."

Mike's stomach suddenly made an extremely awkward noise; sounding like something was dying in a bath tub. Looking a bit embarrassed, he covered his stomach with his hand and looked away.

"Hungry lad?" Foxy inquired.

"Ah, yeah. I didn't eat before I left, and I didn't bring any food with me either; too much of a rush, ya know? I'm sorry if my stomach makes that noise constantly; can't really control it, ehe…" Mike rubbed the back of his head, his face flushed from embarrassment.

"We usually got some left o'er pizza in tha kitchen; if ye want, I could grab ye a slice."

"Oh, uh, ya don't have to go through the hassle for me. I'll be fine, my stomach will just sound like it's crying for a while."

"Nay, I insist! 'sides, sorta in a mood fer a slice meself. Ye like pepperoni?"

"Well, uh, yeah. Pepperoni's sorta the default, so it would be pretty awkward if I didn't like it."

"Aye, it is a staple, isn't it?" Foxy reached for the little bag that hung at his side. "Well, if I'm gonna be dealin' with that, probably best if I get this on then…" Pulling the string, he opened up the bag and put his hand in it. Once he pulled it out, he revealed what was inside.

"AAH HOLY FUCK WHAT IS THAT?!" Mike said in a fit of horror, retaliating as he saw the man pull out a hand from the bag. Jesus christ, did he just carry that around with him all the time? Was that part of a former guard? He felt pretty sick just looking at it.

Foxy blinked once, then gave a bit of a laugh at the man's reaction. "Haha, this be me other hand lad! I don't wear me hook all tha time; be pretty awkward ta explain ta people when I work, no? An' it would make it pretty awkward ta carry stuff. Hooks may be cool, but they're sorta inconvenient, ye know? I wear me hook whenever tha place is closed!" Foxy beamed at the man, tossing the hand in the air and catching it. "Pretty neat, eh?"

"I-I guess. I mean, it's better than what I thought it was; thought you carried around parts of people you killed, eugh. And I guess that explains why your hook was detachable." Mike said, adjusting his position again now that he wasn't as shocked.

"Aye, that it does! Honestly a lot o' us is detachable fer easier maintenance, but me hand's tha only part I mess around with any," Foxy held out the hand towards Mike. "Ah, if it's not too much ta ask, could I ask if ye could hold this? It'd make it a bit easier fer me ta attach tha wires."

"Uh, s-sure," Mike spoke in a shaky voice, taking the hand from Foxy. He whined out a bit at the feeling. It was cold and stiff, and felt startlingly real; like a hand that had been cut off a person.

"I 'ppreciate it lad! Promise it won't take me long!" Foxy said as he started to unscrew his hook.

Mike couldn't help but have his hands tremble a little as he held the hand, terrified at it. Even though he knew full and well it was fake, it just felt so real, so_ wrong_. He tried to swallow the lump that had since formed in his throat, and he could feel nervous sweat beginning to accumulate.

Foxy finished unscrewing the hook, putting it in the little bag and pulling the strings closed. He pointed the hole face down towards the floor as he shook his arm vigorously. After a few seconds, five colorful wires fell out of the opening. They looked a lot like the lines you'd connect to the back of a telephone. "Ah, there we go!" Foxy knelt down to be level with the sitting man. "Alright, can ye turn tha hand so tha openin' faces me?"

Mike nodded slowly, revolving the hand around until the metallic underside was towards the pirate.

Foxy took one of the wires and pressed it to one of the slots, snapping it in place with a click. Taking another wire, he did the same with that. "Uh, lad, could ye steady yer hands a bit? Pretty difficult ta get these in place with ye shakin' like that."

"O-oh, sorry." Mike lowered his hands so that there wasn't as much room for them to shake. Trying to get his mind distracted from the unsettling thoughts that were running through his head, he asked a question. "S-so, h-how do y-you know which o-ones to connect?"

"Ah, pretty simply lil trick! Tha color o' tha wires tells which finger it goes ta!" Foxy pointed to the two wires already in place. "Turquoise fer tha thumb, Indigo fer tha index…" He took another wire and snapped it in place. "Magenta fer tha middle finger…" He repeated this action with the final two wires. "Red fer tha ring finger, an' purple fer tha pinky! Pretty easy ta remember when ye realize tha first letter o' tha color corresponds ta tha finger's name."

Mike nodded a bit, his eyes glued to the wiring that now connected the hand. Suddenly the digits began to move, which caused Mike to let out a yelp and drop the hand. The hand now dangled by the wires, just inches above the ground.

Foxy let out a light chuckle, taking the hand and now screwing it in place. "Sorry fer tha startle, Mike. Just had ta test ta make sure they worked before I put it on."

"Uh-uh-huh…" was Mike's only response, holding his own hand now as his eyes were wide with fright. His heart had started to beat erratically again, and his breath came out in short bursts. Oh, he hated how every little thing seemed to startle the crap out of him.

Once Foxy got the hand screwed into place, he moved the fingers again and clapped his hands. "Right, there we go! That'll make carryin' tha stuff easier." Foxy walked to the right door, then turned around to look at Mike again. "Wanna come? It be safer than stayin' here, ye know."

Mike paused for a moment, before shaking his head. "N-no offense, I think I'll t-take my chances."

"Alright then. Just keep an eye out fer Bonnie, dunno if they realize that I'm doin' me visit now. Pretty sure if I run inta Chica she'll realize what's up, so don't have ta worry 'bout her," Foxy turned back around and was just about to step out of the room when he stopped himself. "Oh!" He turned his head around to look at Mike again. "Ye want a drink while I'm in there? We got a soda machine in tha kitchen as well."

"A-ah, I'll… just take a water," Mike was still a bit out of it, his head feeling light after calming down from the panic.

"Goin' tha simple route, eh? So as ta not clash with tha pizza? I like yer way o' thinkin' matey!" Foxy smiled to the man as he turned around again. "Be back in a bit!" he called out as he walked down the east hallway.

Mike nodded to himself as he watched the man disappear into the darkness. Looking over at the desk, he took the tablet off of it and turned it back on. He flipped over to the east hallway to see if he could see the man, and sure enough he saw him sauntering down towards the kitchen. He watched him up until he saw him disappear into said kitchen, and since the kitchen's camera feed was busted, that meant the end of his watch.

Mike switched over to the show stage, taking notice that Bonnie was now not present. Looking up from the tablet, he checked the doorway just to make sure Bonnie hadn't decided to drop in for a visit. When he saw that the animatronic wasn't present, Mike looked back down at the tablet and continued his search for the rabbit.

He flipped over to the second section of the west hallway to check and make sure Bonnie wasn't too close. The area was clear, but there was something different about the room; something Mike didn't pay any attention to. What he didn't notice about the area was that the usually Freddy poster that was plastered on the wall now was something different; an eyeless Freddy face.

Mike suddenly heard a giggling noise, like that of a little girl. Looking confused, he looked up from the tablet and jumped hard at the sight he witnessed. What looked like an empty Freddy suit was now in the room, yellow in coloration and ominous in appearance. It looked like it was staring straight at him, despite having no eyes in the eye sockets, and seemed completely immobile.

Mike scooted his chair away in fear, until he felt it hit the back wall. Whimpering out, he held out the tablet in a defensive manner as his stare was unwavering towards the suit. Where the hell did this come from; his mind raced at the thought. It didn't seem like a normal animatronic, and he hadn't even heard anything come in the room with him. Just that weird giggle.

Mike's mouth was open and quivering as he watched the suit, expecting it to suddenly lash out at him. When he thought he saw it move slightly, he let out a shriek and quickly covered his face with the tablet; his entire being shaking with fear. Oh god, this was it, wasn't it? Going to die to an animatronic he didn't even know existed. His eyes were closed tightly, waiting now for the inevitable feeling of being pulled away.

When nothing happened for a few seconds, Mike slowly opened his eyes back up as he lowered the tablet; expecting to see that animatronic be right at his face and ready to strike. However, when he looked up, he was surprised to see he was once again alone in the room. Letting out a whine, Mike looked around the area to make sure the coast was indeed clear. Scooting up his chair so as to have access to the buttons again, he pressed both door lights to make sure it wasn't outside in the hallways now. When everything seemed to be in normal order, Mike let out a shaky breath, relaxing himself a bit now that he didn't seem to be in imminent danger.

What the hell even was that? It looked like a Freddy suit, but the color for it was all wrong. And honestly it didn't even seem to feel alive like the other animatronics; it felt more like an empty suit someone just left in the room. Mike was shaking all over, his eyes wide and his chest burning in pain.

Was that another hallucination? If it was, it seemed oddly specific to have been something from the pizzeria. Then again, he _did _hallucinate the animatronics staring at him just yesterday, so maybe it wasn't completely out of the question. Rubbing his eyes, he jumped hard when he heard footsteps coming from the east hallway. Not even giving time to think, he rapidly pressed the door button, causing the door to slam down.

After a few moments, he heard a knocking sound coming from the door, followed by muffled words; he couldn't quite understand what they said, but he thought he heard "It's me," at the very least. Turning on the door light, he saw a human shadow outside the window. Relaxing himself once again, he pressed the door button again and saw the android standing in the doorway; holding two slices of pizza in one hand, a cup in the other, and a bottle of water under his arm.

"Uh, sorry about that, I just… got startled pretty badly. Didn't mean to close you out," Mike told the pirate as he walked back into the room, setting the cup and bottle on the desk as he took one slice from his hand.

"No worries matey, rather ye be cautious than take a chance anyway," Foxy held out one slice of pizza towards Mike. "Sorry that it's cold, we don't have a microwave in tha kitchen, an' I didn't want ta waste power an' time usin' tha oven."

"It's fine, I don't mind cold pizza," Mike took the slice from Foxy and gave a light smile. "Thanks for being so considerate. Honestly really made my night."

Foxy gave a smile back before picking his cup up, taking a sip of the soda he got. "It's tha polite thing tha do. 'sides, can't have ye starvin' ta death now, can I? That'd certainly be anticlimactic."

"Eh, I probably wouldn't starve to death, but I would've been pretty uncomfortable at the very least," Mike sniffed the pizza and examined it to make sure there was nothing off about it. Probably a rude thing to do, but he didn't exactly want to get poisoned if the robot pulled a sneaky on him. When it seemed like the pizza was clear of any foreign substances, he took a bite out of it. "So, you have to eat too?" Mike questioned.

"Well, we don't exactly _have_ ta eat; we don't really have a concept o' hunger or fullness. Do it more so outta pleasure, ye know? Food's pretty tasty, after all," Foxy took a bite out of his own pizza, staying quiet as he chewed. Once he swallowed, he continued on. "We technically could use it as an optional way o' gettin' energy, if we don't want ta sit around an' wait ta get charged. But we'd have ta eat a _lot _ta get tha same amount o' energy our chargers would give us; at least a good forty pounds fer a full charge. So it's a bit o' a waste o' resources ta do that."

"Ah, so you run on batteries or something?" Mike reached for the bottle of water, opening it up. It took a bit of force to get the lid off, so it was probably safe to assume the water hadn't been tampered with.

"Aye, have ta have some way o' bein' powered, an' cords only go so long. Plus it would sorta give us 'way if we just had a wire constantly 'round us. Tha batteries usually last a few weeks—sometimes longer if they're new—so we don't have ta charge that often. Takes a good few hours ta get full though, I'd say… 'bout four? Five maybe. So sorta gotta do it when we have free time." Foxy tapped his back a little to signify where the batteries were, smiling as he did so.

Mike was once again completely intrigued by the android; just when he thought he couldn't get more fascinated with how he worked, something new would come up to spark his curiosity even more. Mike's eyes glowed in an excited manner as he took another bite of his pizza. It was so thrilling to experience something this different, to learn about something this bizarre. Mike was just about to ask another question, but Foxy spoke up before he could.

"Now, I got a bit o' a question fer ye meself. When I was comin' back from tha kitchen, I could've sworn I heard ye yell out. And o' course, ye said ye got startled when I first came back. What got ye so upset lad? Would've thought it was Bonnie, but they were in tha kitchen with Chica when I came in."

Mike wasn't really sure what to say. He wasn't entirely certain about what he saw, and he was honestly a bit nervous to just tell the android he experienced hallucinations. He didn't want to be called crazy, he _hated_ when people called him that for something he couldn't help. Mike squirmed in his seat, trying to think up a reason without outright telling the truth. "Uh… I just… thought I saw something. Got me a bit on edge. It was nothing really."

Foxy hummed out in understanding, nodding his head. "I sometimes end up doin' that too. Misjudge what I see an' give meself a bit o' a fright. Glad ta hear it wasn't anythin' drastic." Foxy took another sip of his soda.

Mike was silent for a moment, before he spoke up again, "Ah… this is probably going to be a really dumb question, but I just wanted to ask, if it's alright?"

Foxy nodded, since he had taken a bite and didn't want to be rude. Once he swallowed, he responded to the man, "Ain't no question too dumb fer an answer. Shoot."

Mike had suddenly gotten really nervous about asking it now, worried beyond all reasoning that he'd say the wrong thing and cause the man to think less of him. But damn it, this was nagging on his mind and he needed to know the answer. "Was… was there ever a fifth animatronic?"

Foxy gave Mike a fairly quizzical look, before saying, "Fifth animatronic? Nay, always been us four. Like there's spare parts, if that what ye mean. But there isn't a fifth, entirely separate animatronic. Why ye ask?"

"Uh… I just… thought I saw another one. It sorta looked like Freddy, but was yellow instead of brown. Probably just misjudged one of the spare suits, eheh…" Mike rubbed the back of his head again in a nervous manner.

Foxy suddenly frowned pretty deeply at that, lowering his hands to his chest. "Yellow suit? Ye sure 'bout that lad?"

"Ah, yeah, pretty sure. I mean, it certainly was a different color from the usual brown, at the very least. Is… is something wrong?" Mike looked fairly concerned now at the sudden serious look the pirate had.

"Mmm… There was a yellow Freddy suit before, a spare we had that we never really used all that much. I could've sworn we threw it out ages ago though, what with tha…" Foxy looked like he really didn't want to finish his sentence, having a stern look on his face as he took a bite out of his pizza.

"… What happened?" Mike said, his curiosity alighted anew. "I-I mean, if you don't mind telling, that is. Wouldn't want to force ya to do something, heh…"

Foxy gave a look to the lad, swallowing his bite. "Do ye mind sad stories? Cause this isn't exactly a cheery one."

"Oh, no, I don't mind them," Mike shook his head, drinking some more of the water once he stopped.

"Alright then, guess it is probably best ta tell this sooner or later. Well… tha pizzeria's sorta been in a rough spot fer ages now, ye know? Never quite got as much business as before, customers weren't as satisfied fer tha same services, rumors o'er tha years that's been accumulating fer a while… Stuff that's ultimately what's causin' this restaurant ta close at tha end o' tha year."

Mike nodded as the pirate talked.

"Well, it all had ta start somewhere; after all, a pizzeria doesn't just get that reputation out o' tha blue. Back in tha summer o' '87, there was an… incident," Foxy took another sip of his soda, his look going more tense as he went on.

"Oh, was this the Bite of '87?" Mike questioned, suddenly looking more understanding.

Foxy frowned and shook his head, "Nay, they're two separate things. Only similarities between 'em is tha year an' tha fact they were both unpleasant. No, this was somethin' else," Foxy sat his cup down, leaning against the desk. "Ye see, we've always had guards around ta watch us durin' tha night. Had ta make sure no one outside tha business knew 'bout us, or tried ta mess with us. We didn't always play this lil violent game either… Nay, that didn't happen til after this was all said an' done."

Mike was completely silent as he listened on to the robot.

"One night, tha guard did somethin'… pretty unspeakable. Even now it still shocks me that it happened; he didn't seem like a mean lad in the slightest, so findin' out he did that was… jarrin', ta say tha least," Foxy's look turned very solemn as he continued on. "One night, while each o' us was in our sleep mode, he… managed ta lure in five kids. Wore that yellow suit ta seem like he was Freddy, ta make tha kids comfortable…" Foxy went quiet at this point, looking down at the ground.

Mike had a feeling he knew where this was going, but didn't speak up. His own look became concerned at the android's gradually worsening mood.

Foxy took in a breath and let it out, before continuing on, "If only we hadn't o' been in that stupid sleep mode, we could've done somethin'… Could've saved those kids, could've saved the restaurant, could've stopped-" he sighed out as he tried to get composed again, "Sorry, sorry, got a bit emotional there. Uh… well, ye can… ye can probably gather what happened ta 'em, right?"

Mike nodded, his own look turning sad at that. "He killed them?"

Foxy nodded back, he eyes glued to the floor. "Aye. Cu… cut up tha bodies an' stuffed 'em in our old suits while we slept. I have no idea how long it took him, or how long they were even in there fer. All I really know was wakin' up that mornin' was tha most frightenin' thing I've ever experienced," Foxy shuddered a bit remembering it, feeling the gore inside the suit was certainly an unwelcomed sensation.

Mike wanted to give some condolences in some way, but was completely drawing a blank as to what to do. Should he say something? Should he touch his shoulder as a gesture of compassion? All he could do was nod right now, feeling helpless that he couldn't help the android feel better. "Did… did they ever catch him?"

Foxy sniffed a bit, trying hard not to just start crying in front of the man. Not looking up, he nodded his head as his voice quivered. "A-aye, they got him. J-just… not f-fer murder charges. Nabbed h-him fer kidnappin', since tha police couldn't find tha bodies. Management…" he let out a rather frustrated sigh now as his voice straightened out. "I don't get why management did this. Instead o' givin' up our old suits ta tha police fer investigation an' evidence, they just… threw 'em away, bodies an' all. Didn't even give 'em a proper burial, just… fuckin' incinerated it all. An' they never told tha police 'bout tha bodies either, so tha kids were just labeled as missin' an' _possibly_ dead. I'm still angry that they did that; said it's cause they didn't want investigations on tha pizzeria ta slow down tha business, tha greedy bastards. Pardon tha language, I just… even after all these years this _still_ infuriates me."

"No problem dude. I'm getting upset just hearing about it, so experiencing it must of been taxing as all hell. And that really was just a callous thing to do, like holy crap they weren't even taking responsibility for something that happened in their own restaurant? What cowards."

Foxy nodded at the lad's words, glad at the very least that he was understanding. "It's not like it did tha restaurant any good; business was still worse than it was before due ta tha rumors that formed 'bout tha place, an' everyone called us 'Tha Murderia' once it was all said an' done. Couldn't fool a damn soul with that. But there's nothin' ta be done now; tha ashes washed away years ago, an' not like I can turn back time."

Mike nodded, still concerned about the bad mood the android clearly was in. He felt awful now asking about the suit; if he'd known it would be such a sensitive topic, he would've just kept quiet. But it did make him rather confused as to why he hallucinated something so specific to the pizzeria's history; especially to something he never saw. "I'm really sorry that I ruined the mood, I just… hell, probably was just a camera glitch that made me think one of the spares were yellow. I shouldn't have brought it up; should've just said I thought I saw something and leave it at that."

Foxy shook his head, finally looking up towards the man. His eyes were a bit teary, but he wasn't exactly crying yet. "No no lad, it's not yer fault. Ye were just curious 'bout somethin', an' it turns out tha answer wasn't pleasant. I'm not mad at ye fer askin'."

Mike frowned sadly at the man's face. Even though the man tried to reassure him that he did nothing wrong, he couldn't help but feel guilty. "Ah, do ya need a tissue? I usually carry some with me."

Foxy shook his head, wiping his eyes on his sleeve, "Nah, I'm fine. Just got a lil teary-eyed from tha memory, is all. Thanks fer tha offer though."

"Hell, you got me pizza and a drink. Least I could do is give you a tissue," Mike said as he took a bite of the remaining crust now. He usually didn't like to eat the crust unless it was stuffed, but he felt it would've been rude to just throw it away.

Foxy smiled lightly at the man, feeling a little better for the returned kindness. He looked down at his half eaten slice and took another bite of it; he hadn't eaten while he explained since it was a rough thing to talk about. "When I finish up me slice, guess it wouldn't hurt ta tell ye 'bout tha Bite while I'm at it. Get rid o' two splinters like that."

Mike had a worried look etched on his face. "Ya don't have to if your mood's too bad. Sure, I'm curious as hell to learn about, but I can live another day without knowing."

"Nay, probably best ta get that outta tha way anyway. 'sides, sorta was relievin' talkin' 'bout tha murders an' not lettin' it fester in me head. Even after all these years, it still affects me pretty badly, an' o' course tha others don't exactly want ta hear me ventin'; probably even worse off than me 'bout it, heh." He took a rather large bite of the pizza this time, finishing off what was left of the flavored section and leaving the crust. After a few moments of chewing, he swallowed and carried on, "An' I told ye yesterday I'd probably tell ye today; I always like ta keep good on me word. It's no trouble ta tell ya it as well. Unless, o' course, yer own mood's a bit too low ta handle it."

Mike shook his head again, taking the final bite of the crust and downing it with the water. "Nah, I could handle hearing some more sad stuff. Just don't wanna seem like I'm pushing you to do something ya may not want to do."

Foxy sipped his drink again and nodded, "Eh, no worries 'bout that then. I want ta do this." He bent the crust to fold in on itself, then put the whole thing in his mouth. Was rather awkward to chew, but he wanted to finish up so he could get started already.

Mike giggled softly at the silly look the pirate now had, his cheeks puffed out from the crust and a semi-awkward sounds coming from the chewing. "Hehe, you're more like a chipmunk than a fox, aren't ya?"

Foxy smiled as much as he could with a full mouth, happy to see the lad's mood go up a little. He swallowed the crust in tiny increments until his mouth was finally empty, then gave a light chuckle himself. "Nay, I'm still an' ol' fox. Don't have tha cute looks ta pull off chipmunk." He washed down the bit of pizza still stuck in his mouth with the soda.

"Eh, debatable, but whatever ya say," Mike took another swallow of his water before he screwed the lid back on.

Foxy smiled more at the compliment, before his look turned to a more neutral position as he prepared himself for the next story. "Alright, ready ta hear it?"

Mike nodded as he tossed the water bottle in between his hands.

Foxy leaned himself more on the desk, nearly sitting on it but still standing. "Well, tha Bite happened not too long after tha murders. I think it was less than a month, in fact, an' it ended up bein' what really sealed tha fate o' this pizzeria. After all, no amount o' burnin' tha evidence could get rid o' so many witnesses. An' with so many witnesses, there's no way tha reputation would keep golden."

Foxy took another drink of his soda as he rubbed his butt against the desk, trying to scoot himself up onto it so as to actually sit down and be more comfortable. Once he was partially on the desk with his feet off the ground, he continued on, "After tha murders, we ended up havin' ta build new animatronics fer us ta use; was just too much ta ask ta clean up an' fix up tha old ones, an' frankly ye couldn't pay me enough ta merge back inta that thing with a clear conscious. However, tha craftin' on tha new ones were… less than ideal."

He gestured as he talked, "Tha suits were a lot cheaper than tha old ones, an' tore a lot easier as a result. It wasn't uncommon fer a large tear ta appear in tha middle o' a show, an' that certainly freaked tha kiddies out. So we ended up needin' more replacements after that; that's why tha back room's so full o' spares. Not only that, but parts o' tha animatronic seized up a lot; causin' us to either fall over or get stuck mid-routine. Just 'bout every show, be it tha basic ones or tha ones we performed, had some sort o' mess up; some more noticeable than others."

Foxy lowered his hands to his lap now as he went to the more serious part. "Mine was probably tha worst o' tha bunch. Every few minutes tha limbs would get stuck, an' sometimes tha voice would even glitch out an' repeat on itself. But by far tha worst part was tha jaw; fer some reason, it would snap shut far too quickly sometimes, enough ta do some nasty damage if there was anythin' in between. An' there was no way ta tell when it would do it either; sometimes it would be in quick secession, other times it may take a few hours. All I know is movement certainly seemed ta help trigger it."

Mike had since starting sitting with his legs crossed and up in the chair. He leaned himself forward as he listened.

"Well, durin' one o' me special shows, I was walkin' 'round an' playin' with tha kiddies as were per usual; goin' on an adventure ta rediscover me buried treasure. Everythin' seemed ta go alright so far; didn't run inta any seizing issues or voice glitches, an' tha kids were havin' a blast. Fer once, it felt like things were doin' better ever since tha incident… didn't last though."

Foxy frowned deeply as he got to the grim part. "One o' tha kiddies ended up runnin' in front o' me instead o' followin' like they were supposed ta. I tried ta get 'em ta go back behind me, but that was when me legs locked up; causin' me ta fall right on top o' 'em. I managed ta catch meself a bit so I didn't just completely crush 'em, but since tha suit's still pretty heavy, I couldn't help but do damage. Kid was screamin' an' cryin', wantin' their mum somethin' awful."

He took a deep breath at the next part, shaking a little as he continued on. "I-I tried ta comfert tha kid as best I could, b-but it was hard since I couldn't move me legs any ta relieve pressure, an' tha employees were havin' a rough t-time tryin' ta get me off. I… I tried ta talk ta 'em, tell 'em Cap'n Foxy was sorry he hurt 'em, but that's when things took a turn fer tha worse."

He went quiet as he got to the next part, his throat feeling like it just wanted to close up and a tear going down his face, "Daw, shit… C-could I have a tissue now lad? D-don't think I can really c-control this one…"

"Ah, sure sure," Mike said as he reached out for his bag that was beside him. Unzipping the bag, he rummaged around a bit until he found where he kept the little pack of tissues. Opening up the sticker that kept it covered, he pulled one out and handed it to Foxy."

"T-thank ye lad, 'ppreciate it…" the pirate said as he wiped his face clean of the tears. Taking in a shaky breath, he continued on. "Things went… so much worse. As soon as I had opened up me mouth ta talk, tha jaw did what it usually did an' snapped shut way too quickly. An' unfortunately… tha kid's head was in between me mouth."

More tears started running down the android's face as he kept wiping his face, shaking hard and his voice stuttering, "I-I bit off part o' th-their head… so d-damn deep it br-broke though tha skull… an' their b-brain was visible… o-or at least, what was left o' it…"

Mike flinched hard at the words, the mental image being horrifying. He knew it couldn't have been pleasant, given that the phone guy said the frontal lobe was missing, but that was by far worse than he imagined.

Foxy's face was scrunched hard in pain, as he slid off the desk and hit the floor pretty hard, now sitting on the floor. He didn't seem too affected by that though, as he kept on, "Th-that's when tha s-screamin' got worse… Th-tha entire buildin' was f-full o' it. Kids an' adults that w-were once j-joyous now ran away in pure terror… Th-tha kid though… tha kid I bit… was f-far too quiet."

He pulled his legs up to himself now, curling up on himself as he kept shaking. "I-I was c-certain I killed 'em, th-they were so stiff, their f-face so ruined… I k-knew their mum was shriekin' at me, c-callin' me a monster… d-don't blame her a bit… f-fuck." Foxy's tears had started to roll down rapidly at this point, his eyes positively watery and his face contorted in pure agony.

Mike got up from out of the seat and sat next to the man, pushing the chair away with his leg so as to have more room. He certainly looked like he needed the comfort now, though Mike still wasn't sure what to do. Patting his hand against the man's shoulder, he tried to give comforting words. "A-ah, there there, it's okay?" Mike questioned himself; he was so bad at giving reassurance.

Mike gasped a little as he suddenly felt arms envelope him in a crushing hug, the android's face buried in the man's shoulders as his crying got uncontrollable. He could hear harsh sobbing coming from the robot, and could feel him tremble hard against him. Having a bit of trouble breathing, he wiggled his arms out of the death hold and hugged the pirate back, lightly patting his back. "A-alright, just let it out… B-but could you please not s-squeeze so tight? Sorta hurts…"

The hold was loosened as he said that, letting the man take in a breath. His shoulder felt absolutely soaked from the tears, but he didn't mind. The guy probably had this bottled up for a while now, the least he could do was let him spill out his emotions. Mike moved a hand to Foxy's head as he lightly played with the coarse hair; he wasn't sure if that would do much good, but he knew when he was in a bad mood he liked when people played with his hair. Maybe the pirate was the same way.

It took a few minutes for Foxy to compose himself again, his sobs gradually getting quieter and his trembling lessening as time progressed. Lifting his face off of Mike's shoulder, he wiped his eyes again and sniffed. "Ah, h-holy shit, sorry 'bout that. Sorta got all… emotional. D-don't usually get that way, heh…"

Mike shrugged, giving an understanding look. "It's fine dude, that shit sounded pretty harsh. I don't mind being a little wet at the shoulders."

Foxy had let go of Mike at this point, straightening himself out as he ran his hand through his hair. His face was completely red from the sobbing, and his breath was short. He nodded to himself, as he continued the train of thoughts he had that were interrupted. "T-tha kid was sent ta tha hospital, o-once I was off o' 'em. Pr-Pretty damn serious condition, I-I'm amazed they d-didn't just die right there. Turns out they survived, b-but their legs an' skull had been broken, an' tha frontal lobe was no longer there. Cost a small fortune in medical bills, since management couldn't get 'round it this go 'round; honestly amazed we weren't just shut down right there, b-but 'pparetly they pulled enough strings ta not become a hazard. However, as a result, me show was scrapped ta avoid potentially more accidents, an' tha rest o' tha group had ta be limited ta tha stage; couldn't walk 'round anymore. It was… it wasn't a good time fer tha pizzeria."

"No kiddin' man, I had heard it was bad but _damn_, that's harsh as hell. All because they were too cheap to just get the animatronics fixed, holy crap. They certainly had to regret it once it was all over."

Foxy nodded at the man's words, sniffing some more. "A-aye. It certainly put a large dent in tha pizzeria's budget; so much so they nearly had me scrapped fer parts ta recover some o' tha lost money. After all, tha only good I would be now was ta serve, an' they could just hire any ol' body ta do that. If it weren't fer tha others—fer Freddy, Bonnie an' Chica—I wouldn't even be here now. They saved me ass pretty damn thoroughly."

Mike put his hand back on the man's shoulder, rubbing it as he did so.

Foxy rubbed his face one last time before he looked over at the man, giving him a gentle look. "I'm sorry ta have caused our talk ta go so grim this go 'round, an'… Sorry I sorta used ye as a vent. That stuff's been brewin' fer a while now, so once it got tha chance ta, it ended up spillin' o'er. Really was rude o' me, we've only known each other fer so long after all."

Mike shook his head before he responded, "Nah man, it's fine. You're not the first person to vent to me before, and lord knows I'd probably be in a similar position if something like that happened to me. Venting really helps the pain, ya know? To be able to tell someone what happened and get it all off your chest; it's so relieving."

Foxy smiled lightly at the man's understanding. It _did_ feel nice to be able to just let it all out for once, instead of just dwell on it and wonder what could've been. "T-thanks lad, it… it does feel good ta talk 'bout it with someone. Even if it's someone I just met."

Mike returned the smile and nodded, looking up at the clock on the wall. It had said 2:46. "Ah, hey dude, when did you get here again?"

Foxy followed suit at looking and did a sheepish look when he realized how over the time he went. "Ah, I came 'bout 1:30, so I _really_ overstayed me welcome this go 'round. Gotta stop doin' that, otherwise Freddy won't let me keep playin' me game." Foxy moved his legs as he got himself off the floor, then once he was up he offered a hand to Mike.

Mike took the hand and hoisted himself up. "Thanks captain," Mike said as he straightened out his pants.

"O' course. Well, now that we got tha sad stuff outta tha way, hopefully that means tomorrow we'll have tha chance fer more pleasant interactions. Just gotta promise me ye won't run late an' get yerself killed before I even get a chance ta say bye."

"Yep, can agree to that. Don't plan on dying just yet, so no worries about repeats," Mike nodded as he replied, sitting back down in his seat. "If I do die, it won't be because I misjudged time, at the very least."

Foxy gave a light chuckle as he moved on to the left doorway, "See ye tomorrow lad! Remember, check Pirate Cove!" the pirate waved farewell as he walked down the hallway.

Mike had a fairly large smile on his face since then. He looked forward to tomorrow.

—

Mike went to open the door to the apartment, but was stopped when he realized the door was locked. Must've meant Ronnie was still asleep; usually if at least one of them were awake, the door wouldn't be locked. Taking out the keyring, he pulled out the apartment's key and unlocked the door. Took a bit of effort, since the lock was honestly awful, but he eventually got the key turned.

Opening the door, sure enough he saw Ronnie asleep on the couch; a blanket covering him up and his phone on the coffee table. The TV was turned on to a news station, and right now they were doing a segment on a recent murder in the state. Taking the remote off the table, he flipped the TV off so as to not waste power.

Ronnie's phone suddenly started to ring, playing out the techno beat it usually did. Ronnie snored out a bit and turned around, but didn't wake up. Mike picked up the phone to check and see who it was; the caller ID said it was Derrick. He answered the phone so his brother wouldn't wake up. "Ronnie's phone, Mike speaking," he answered.

"Oh, uh, hey Mike! Wasn't expecting you to answer. Uh, is Ronnie around?" Derrick said in a rather nervous way.

"Hey Derrick, Ronnie's asleep right now. Can I take a message?"

"Oh, really? Usually he's awake now, bit surprised to hear he's still sleepin'. Uh, don't really have much to say, I was just wondering if he could give me a drive to work today; car's sorta on the fritz, and probably won't be fixed til tomorrow. But if he's still asleep-"

"Hey, nah, I could give ya a drive if ya want! Just got home myself, but it wouldn't kill me to go out again," Mike walked into the kitchen, sitting in a chair there so his talking wouldn't bother Ronnie.

"Oh, you would? Well thanks! Sorta was worried you hated me and didn't really want anything to do with me anymore, heh…"

Mike had a bit of a confused looked on his face when Derrick said that. "Why would I hate ya dude?"

"Uh… well, you know… him?"

It took a moment for his brain to click at what he said, but once he did he frowned fairly deeply at that. "Oh, right. _Him_. Ah, I don't hate you cause of him, dude. No way you would've known he was capable of doing that; he seemed like a nice guy at first, anyway. Don't hold any vendetta against ya."

"Oh, well that's good! Was really worried you didn't want to give me the time of day anymore; like you never texted or hung out with me since, so sorta painted the idea in my head you hated me, ya know? God, I still feel fucking awful for introducing him to you, I didn't think he'd do this kind of shit."

Mike shook his head, before he remembered he was talking on a phone and not in person. "No dude, like I said, there's no way you would've known he'd be like… that. Besides, I _did_ like him before all that crap happened, so it wasn't like it was all in vain, heh…" He tried to pull off a faux smile, but his lips simply wouldn't cooperate. Good thing this was a phone call.

"Hnnn, still. Can't help but feel bad. I'd known Lou… I'd known him for years, I should've fucking realized something was up with him."

Mike flinched lightly when Derrick nearly spoke his name, but calmed down quick enough when he stopped himself. God, that name was going to give him trouble for a while, wasn't it? "Ah, can we go on about something else? Sorta don't wanna talk about this much more."

"Oh, yeah, sure. So, how have you been otherwise dude?"

"Well, finally managed to get a new job. Pay for it is absolutely awful, but hell, I'm finally back on the field again! That's something at least." Mike tipped his chair back a bit as he rocked himself.

"Oh yeah, I think Ronnie mentioned that a few days ago. It's at that pizzeria with the animatronics, right?"

"Yup, that's the one. Got a spot as a night watch, amazingly enough."

"… Why the hell does a pizzeria need a night watch?"

"I dunno man, my only guess is they don't want vandals to mess with the animatronics. Place is sorta in a rough spot, after all, so they can't afford to replace them if one got too broken."

"Well, yeah, that's pretty understandable, but I wouldn't have thought they would have that much trouble with stuff like that."

"Neither would I, but I guess they've had issues in the past and they don't want repeats. Whatever the case, it's… it's an easy job. Boring, but easy," Mike lied in between his teeth.

"Hm, you okay dude? You sorta paused for a second."

"Oh yeah, I'm fine. Just… had my train of thought interrupted."

"Care to talk about it?"

Mike went quiet again, trying to think up something that sounded plausible that would've derailed him like that. Taking a few seconds, his thoughts suddenly went to the android. "Ah, it's nothing bad. The job's pretty boring, but I'm doing something to make it be a little bit less tedious. Started seeing someone."

"Oh? How'd you meet someone at a night watch position?"

"Eh, long story. He's just a guy who happens to work at the pizzeria as well, though he's day shift. Stuck around a bit my first night to get me introduced to the pizzeria, and he's been hanging with me for about an hour each night so I don't get too bored at the job. Pretty nice guy."

"Ah, that's pretty cool! Sorta shocked to hear you're seeing someone so soon again, though; especially some dude you just met."

Mike just clicked at how he said that in a rather awkward manner. Made it sound like he was dating him, whoops. "Oh, uh, we're not seeing each other like that. Sorta blundered my words, sorry. I meant I just met him, and we're sorta getting acquainted to each other. Though… if I could be honest, he's not a bad looking guy. Pretty solid 7 or 8."

Derrick laughed at that, "Of course you still have to rate people. Good old Mike, eh? Well, glad to hear you're still socializing at least!"

"Mmm, he's the first person I've talked to in a while other than my brother, so I can't exactly say I'm still a social butterfly. But hopefully I'm getting better at talking again; sorta been lonely staying to myself all the time."

"Well, you can always call and text me if ya want! Hell, we could probably hang out some time again; it's been a while, hasn't it? Maybe we could go by that new burger place!"

Mike chuckled a little bit, "Sure, that sounds pretty great. I've heard their rib sandwiches are really good, maybe I could grab one while I'm at it. Get more caught up with one another, eh?"

"Yup, sounds like a date then! Let's do it soon, hah!"

Mike smiled at the talk; Derrick always was a blast to talk with, he was sad at himself for not trying to talk with him more. He'd have to try and get back in touch with him normally; he didn't want to sour their friendship, after all. Both of them remained quiet for a while, causing an awkward silence between the two. Mike eventually broke the silence, "So, when you want me to pick you up?"

"Oh, right! Ah, could you get me at around seven or so? I'll pay for the gas, and hopefully Ronnie would be the one to pick me up so ya don't have to wake up. I know how you sleep most of the day." Derrick said in a bit of rushed tone, just now remembering the reason he called in the first place.

"Sounds like a plan, I'll see ya at seven. I'm gonna go get me something to eat now, been nice talkin' with ya!"

"Sure sure, been a nice chat! Have a good breakfast or whatever you'd call it! See ya in a bit!"

"Bye dude," Mike said as the pressed the hang up button, closing up the phone and setting it on the table. He kept leaning his chair back, up until he nearly tipped himself over. Thankfully though his foot had managed to catch the leg of the table, making it so he didn't fall backwards and hit his head to the floor. His heart now pounding at the sudden adrenaline, he blinked slightly as he got out of his chair; going to the freezer to get some toaster strudels.


	4. Four is Death

**Fourth chapter now. Took a bit to get this one finished, I had a hard time focusing for long periods of time. Then again the last chapter was sorta a sudden finish, since I literally wrote half of it in a day.**

**I think after this, chapters are going to start getting shorter. I'd still like to keep a couple thousand words a go, but I dunno if they'll be able to consecutively have over 10k words. Mainly cause now we're getting off the introductions and going into more generalized stuff. However, now's when we also start delving into Foxy's point of view more, instead of just Mike's. I was gonna wait till about chapter 6, but then I got a brief idea for a Foxy scene that I liked, so came out a bit earlier than I thought.**

**Honestly I was expecting this chapter to turn out a lot shorter than it actually did. I honestly had to edit it down a lot, like the search section was meant to be much longer with casual banter between the guys, but once I realized "Oh damn I'm at 12k words" I sorta called that idea off. I hope the chapter doesn't feel too long, holy crap.**

**Also, after this I'm going to be going through the past chapters to do some minor word edits. Mostly to make sure there's no typos or excessive words, but also to make sure Foxy's talk is properly pirate enough, and to take out some overused phrases. I keep using "a bit" too much to describe things; I don't mean to but it just seems to happen. No idea how long it'll take, but hopefully it helps improve the little flaws the story had.**

**I also want to say, I am so SO bad figuring what a person's left or right is. Like if they're standing in a certain way, I always have trouble figuring out what side would be their left and what side would be their right. So hopefully I don't have it wrong, if I do let me know and I'll try to fix it!**

**And finally, I like to call this chapter the one that's gonna weed out the weak. I'm gonna go a bit more into detail about some characters, and I have no real doubt that some people are gonna be pissed about it. But hell, that's how I imagined the characters and I ain't gonna change it. Honestly it shouldn't be something to cause much stress, but given the topic it's no doubt gonna cause some friction.**

**In any case, hope this chapter is still satisfactory!**

**Just wanted to say also, according to Google this chapter officially makes this damn fanfiction novel length. Jesus fucking christ I went overboard, I'm not even close to being finished.**

**Warning(s): Unreality (Section One), Transphobia mention briefly (Section Four)**

* * *

><p>Mike always liked driving out to the countryside whenever he had the gas to do so. It may of took over an hour to get there and back, but it was such a nice change of scenery; leaving the busy city to go out to the peaceful landscape just outside of it. Looking through the various fields of vegetation and flora, admiring the rustic farmlands that kept strong even in these modern times, the silence so poignant you could hear the insects hum and the birds sing; it was so refreshing, so invigorating.<p>

Mike pulled off to the side of the road just outside of a wheat field. He thought this spot would be a good place to relax at for a bit; hopefully whoever owned the land wouldn't mind too much if he stopped here. Parking his car, he turned off the ignition and pulled the keys out. He opened his door, and was greeted by the pleasant warmth this day had brought today. This was by far the most comfortable it's been since November started; it was a nice change of pace to the usual cold weather where you had to wear layers to even be slightly warm.

Getting out of the car, he closed the door behind him and locked it up, putting his keys in his pockets once it was all finished. He breathed in deeply to smell the fresh air, scented wonderfully of grass and wheat. Smiling to himself, he walked out towards the field, a slight bounce to his step due to his great mood. He was glad that he somehow managed to save up enough money for the little trip. He certainly knew he needed it, what with his new job being probably the most stressful thing imaginable.

Moving into the field, he brushed aside bits of the wheat as he walked deeper in. He broke off one piece of wheat, twirling it between his fingers and bending it until it snapped in half. He rolled the broken pieces in between his fingers now, enjoying the sensation the wheat brought. Once he felt like he was in significantly deep enough to be surrounded by the grains, he squatted down and sat on the ground.

It may of been a weird thing, but he loved how the wheat towered over him while he sat. It made him feel so safe, so protected from the outside world despite being out in plain daylight. Giving a light giggle, he laid himself down as some wheat bended underneath him. He closed his eyes once he was in a comfortable enough position, his arms behind his head and his legs crossed.

He felt so at peace here, it was such a wonderful feeling. Getting out of that cramped apartment to be out in the wide open world, the sun lightly beaming down while bits of the wheat shaded him in sections. His chest felt positively light at this, so fluttery and free. He couldn't help but have a fairly large smile plastered on his face as he bounced his foot a bit, completely content at his surroundings for a change of pace.

Suddenly the ground underneath Mike began to tremble, vibrating lightly at first but progressively getting more violent. Opening his eyes up, Mike sat back up and looked around in a bewildered fashion, bracing himself against the ground as best as he could. What the hell, was this an earthquake? He'd never experienced one before, since the area he lived in wasn't exactly known for having earthquakes. But he couldn't think of any other thing it could of been.

Looking up, his eyes bugged out when he saw the sky was an unnaturally bright shade of orange; almost as if it were sunset, despite the fact that the clock in his car said it was only a little past one. Black clouds seemed to appear out of nowhere, forming twisted shapes that interlaced with the orange. He took notice that the wheat suddenly was wilting at an alarming rate, turning into a sickening brown as it bent in on itself. It didn't take long for the wheat to wither away completely, leaving a barren field in its wake.

Mike felt his throat close up, terror seizing through his body as he clumsily tried to get up. He didn't know what was going on, but he certainly knew he had to get out of here, _fast_. He tried to make a dash for his car, but the intense shaking of the ground only caused him to fall promptly back on his ass, his tailbone hitting right on top of a rock. Gasping out in pain as tears formed in his eyes, he moved his hand to the aching area as he tried to roll himself off the rock.

As soon as he moved himself, the ground started breaking down where he once was. Large cracks appeared in the earth, before they shattered off to show a bottomless pit beneath. The cracks kept spreading, going across the ground at an alarming rate and breaking it down as if it were glass. It didn't take long until Mike was completely surrounded by the unending blackness, his only salvation being the fact the little area of land he laid on didn't seem affected by whatever was going on.

Mike could only watch on in horror as he watched more and more of the ground cave in on itself, disappearing and leaving nothing but a void in its place. The cracks finally reached to where his car was, and broke down that area in no time flat. He watched as his car careened down into the abyss, eventually going out of sight but making no noise as to signify it hit the bottom. He felt like he could scream out at any moment now, but he was so petrified at what he saw all he could do was gape.

Eventually the ground gradually stopped trembling, until it was completely still again. The cracks had finally stopped, finishing its creation of turning the once solid ground into steep cliffs. The air was filled with deathly silence, the only noise now being the wind howling into the newly-formed pits. Mike simply sat there for a while, his entire being shaking as tears ran down his face. He didn't know what to do, he was completely isolated now; trapped on a little island of land surrounded by a sea of nothingness.

After a good few minutes of just sitting there, he tried to hoist himself back up, grunting out as he did so due to his still-sore tailbone. He managed to get back into a standing position, albeit leaning over slightly as he was unable to straighten out his back enough to stand straight. He breathed heavily as he simply stared off into the distance, looking towards the bits of solid ground that were now so far away.

What was he going to do? The only logical thing he could think up was someone perhaps driving by and realizing he was stuck, but even then what good would that do? Perhaps they could call for help, but what if the ground broke away before it arrived? What if no one ever came, leaving him isolated on this segment of land? Mike didn't like any of those scenarios, and could feel tears roll down his face out of the sheer hopelessness he felt.

"Come on Mike, just jump it! You'll make it, you've done it before, right?" a familiar voice suddenly spoke out to him, sounding as if it were right beside him. Jumping a little at the unexpected noise, Mike looked around to try and see where on earth he heard that voice come from. Turning his head around to look behind him, his eyes went wide when he saw his brother now was standing there with him.

"R-Ronnie?" was all Mike could muster, completely shocked to see his brother now be with him at a time like this. Where the hell did he even come from? He certainly hadn't come out with him, and there was no logical way he could even reach this speck of land without a helicopter at the very least.

Ronnie smiled out to his brother, "The one and only. Now come on dude, ground's not gonna last much longer! Just bend your knees and push yourself forward!"

Mike turned himself forward again, looking back out towards the land. Could he really just jump it like that? The ground had to have been a good hundred feet or so away, but didn't Ronnie say he did this before? Honestly, it felt like he _had_ done it before, but now he wasn't feeling so sure. He turned back around to look at his brother, questioning him before he did anything, "Y-You sure about this man? I-It's pretty far, after all…"

Ronnie gave a bit of an annoyed look at his brother's hesitance, puffing out a bit as he did so, "Look, either you do this yourself and jump it, or I can just toss your ass over there. Just sayin', it's probably gonna be more pleasant if you can control how you land."

Mike nodded at his brother's words, realizing it was now or never. Turning around again so as to face forward, he squatted his legs down and mentally prepared himself. He could do this, he thought, he'd have to do this. Powering his body forward, he leaped out towards the distant land.

He didn't even make it two feet. Screaming out in horror, all Mike could do was feel as his body whistled down into the chasm, darkness engulfing him in one sudden go.

—

Mike's eyes shot open as he woke up from the nightmare. He breathed out in an irregular fashion, blinking a bit as he was brought back to reality. After a few moments of recollecting himself, he sighed out and laid on his back, rubbing his face in a tired manner.

God, he hated when he had dreams that felt like they could be real one second, then the next go completely batshit up the wall. He especially hated it when the dreams were something nice, something that made him wish it was real and not just some figment of his imagination. He should have known it was a dream from the start; he hadn't had the money to go driving out like that for months now. All he felt now was a longing to actually go out of the city again, to lie out on an open field and feel the grass beneath him.

He really did miss going out of town, it was a tradition of his to go at least once a month to look out at the countryside. But then things got all awkward. Money became tighter, life felt harder to deal with, couldn't find a stable enough job after the fiasco with _him_; everything felt like it all crashed down in one fell swoop, and Mike had no idea how to deal with it. He hated feeling like such a mess, he just wanted to get over this and move on. But it was so much harder than he thought it would be, so much more strenuous.

Mike looked over to the nightstand that stood beside him. On it, a fan blew out towards the wall. He had pointed it away since he had gotten a fair bit nippy from it, but he didn't want to turn it off since he needed some sort of background noise to lull himself to sleep. Mike moved his hand towards the fan, positioning it to blow back onto him. He needed a bit of air after that mess of a dream, since he could feel a cold sweat going down his face.

Once the fan was back in its proper position, Mike reached for the phone that laid beside it. Picking it up, he pressed the button at the bottom to see what time it was. Squinting his eyes a little at the sudden brightness, the clock read out 7:29. Since there wasn't any sunlight coming from the window, it was probably safe to assume it was PM and not AM. Plus, it just would make more sense if it was anyway; if it was AM, that would have meant he slept nearly 24 hours, and he didn't think Ronnie would let him sleep through work like that.

Putting his phone back down, he stretched his arms out before he laid them to his sides. On his right, he could feel warm fur and a light vibration underneath his arm. He smiled as he recognized the sensation, moving his hand up to scratch the ears of the cat that slept beside him. The cat's head moved in response to the petting, rubbing her head gingerly against the man's hand as her purring increased in volume. At least Fluffers was here to make him feel better; he always did like when she would actually curl up next to him, instead of just laying on the kitchen chair or the back of the couch like usual.

He was still a fair bit tired, but he didn't really see much point in going back to sleep. He'd already slept nearly nine hours anyway; couldn't go much longer or else he'd feel like a groggy mess all night. Giving the cat one last stroke, he sat himself up and pushed the blanket off of him; getting off the bed and heading to the bathroom as were per usual. His legs felt a bit awkward—like they were hovering over nothing instead of being planted on solid ground—but Mike gathered it was probably just an effect from the dream. It'd go away soon enough, he thought.

—

Mike grumbled out as he shakily got out of the car. It had been over four hours now, yet his legs still felt like jello; hardly able to keep standing and wobbled at the slightest amount of pressure. Damn, that dream certainly had more of a physical effect on him than he thought it would. He guessed dreams about falling forever sorta does that to a person; he couldn't really recall the last time he had a dream like that, so he couldn't exactly remember how his legs felt afterwards.

Trying to close the car door with his leg, Mike nearly fell over face first when he lifted his leg. Putting his leg back down and steadying himself out, he made another frustrated noise as he resorted to using his butt, scooting the door closed behind him. Once that was settled, he leaned himself against his car and rummaged through his bag for the flashlight. He had arrived a good ten minutes early this go around, so he wasn't in such of a mad rush to get to safety this go around.

While Mike kept going through the inner pockets of the bag for the little flashlight, he swore he thought he heard the doors to the pizzeria open up. Scrunching up his face, he looked up from his search over to the pizzeria's entrance. Sure enough, he could see one of the doors close in, meaning someone had just entered the restaurant. His eyebrows raised, he walked himself over to the door; surely no one would still be around at this time, right? And management wouldn't just leave the doors unlocked, after all.

Mike leaned his face into the door, looking through the glass to see if he could see anything. All he saw was blackness in the building; no light to signify someone was in there. He tugged at the door handle to see if it was open, but the door stayed firmly in place, locked. Mike furrowed his brow now, completely confused. He swore he saw the door close shut just a second ago, yet it was still sealed tight.

Surely this couldn't have been another hallucination? If it was, that would've meant he'd had hallucinations for three days now, and that felt too frequent even before he was on medication. He tried to think if there was any other logical explanation. The only thing he could come up with was maybe one of the androids were out and came back in, then locked the door behind them. But that idea was debunked fairly quickly when he remembered quite well that the door was designed to only lock like this from the outside. To lock it from the inside, you'd have to use a little sliding bar—similar to the kind you'd see in bathroom stalls—and he could see at the very least that the bar wasn't in place.

Mike did a sigh in frustration as he continued his halted search for the flashlight. Well, at least his psychiatrist appointment was tomorrow; he'd certainly have to bring this up with them, three days of hallucinations was no good. Finally finding the flashlight in the bottom of his bag, he pulled it out and then went through the keyring for the pizzeria's key.

Once he had the key in between his fingers, he unlocked the door and opened up. He walked in, turning the flashlight on and giving a look around the area to see if he could see anyone. Everything seemed to be in proper order; the party hats were on the table, the three main animatronics were up on the stage, the curtain to Pirate Cove was closed. It didn't seem like there was a trace of anyone around.

Mike shrugged now as his thoughts were basically confirmed; yet another damn hallucination, this was getting ridiculous. At least this one hadn't been so frightening this go around, he could handle seeing doors close. Turning himself around, he slid the bar in place to lock the door. Once that was done, he twirled the flashlight a little by the chain it had, then caught it in his hand as he headed towards the office.

His progress was stopped when he thought he heard footsteps. Freezing in place, he looked around again to make sure there indeed wasn't anyone else in here with him. After giving the place a good twice-over, he was about to continue onward when he felt something push against him; causing him to fall over on his butt, whoofing out as he did and dropping his flashlight. With a clicking sound, the light went dead and he could hear bits of the tool roll away; from the sound of it, it seemed like the top completely popped off and made the batteries come out.

"Fucking shit," Mike swore out, now completely blind in the building. He tried to feel around for the flashlight, but it did no good; it had rolled out too far from reach, and he couldn't see at all to try and locate the parts. He grunted out now, pouting as he resorted to his bag again. He fumbled around for the zipper, having troubles due to not being able to see.

He'd have to get his phone out and try to use the screen's light to locate the bits of flashlight. Either that, or try and use it as a guide to the office if it turned out it was a lot closer to twelve than he thought. Finally finding the zipper, he unzipped the bag and blindly rummaged around the clutter. He cursed at himself and how badly he kept this thing organized; of all the times to have it bite him in the butt, it had to be when his life was possibly _in danger_.

He was so lost in his thoughts of complaining at himself, he didn't hear the footsteps approach him from the right. "Havin' a bit o' trouble there, matey?"

Mike yelped out as he jumped hard, looking up towards where he heard the voice. He felt his blood freeze cold when he saw a pair of glowing yellow eyes towering over him in the darkness, staring straight at him. Oh god, was it already twelve?! Was it too damn late, did he fuck up beyond redemption now? He tried to scoot himself away from the eyes that only got closer to him, too terrified to even think of getting up.

"Hey hey, no need ta worry lad; not gonna hurt ye, it ain't twelve yet. Just saw ye had some issues an' thought I'd offer help, is all," the familiar voice spoke out, the eyes now lowering to be level with the sitting man.

"A-ah… s-sorry, just… got startled. Fuck, t-today's just not a good day for me," Mike stuttered out, shaking pretty hard as he stared at the glowing pair of eyes. He didn't like to stare into pure darkness for long, since it oddly made his eyes feel sore, so the bit of visual was a welcomed relief. "G-gotta say, didn't e-expect your eyes would glow. Caught me of guard, heh…"

Foxy chuckled lightly at the man's response, "Aye, they glow in tha dark. Helps us ta see in any light level; pretty handy lil feature, if I do say so meself. So, ye have a lil trip or somethin'?"

Mike was silent for a bit. He wasn't entirely sure what happened this time; could hallucinations even be physical like that? It really felt like something had pushed against him, and pretty damn hard at that. But if it _was_ another hallucination, he couldn't just say "Oh, something that doesn't actually exist knocked me over, I'm fine." He'd had no idea how the pirate would react, and he sorta needed the help pretty badly right now if he wanted to get to the office quick enough.

"Uh, yeah. One of my shoelaces must've come untied, and it made me slip. Dropped my flashlight as a result, now I can't see a damn thing. Uh, I'd… I'd appreciate some help, if you don't mind," Mike said a bit sheepishly, trying to look embarrassed so as to better pull off the lie. Hopefully Foxy wouldn't notice he wore slip-on shoes.

"O' course, that's no trouble at all. Give me a second, I'll gather up what I see," the pirate replied, the eyes now raising up from the position close to the man and disappearing into the darkness.

Mike could hear the shuffling of feet as he stared off into the blackness, following the noise as best as he could. The sounds were fairly close, but were definitely a fair bit distance away from the position he sat in; no doubt he wouldn't have been able to locate the pieces by himself.

After a few seconds, he saw the eyes reappear in the dark and approach him, then squat down again. "Alright, I think I got it all; got all I could see anyway. I'd put it together fer ye, but honestly I dunno tha least bit how ta put one o' these back in order. An' I'm a bit 'fraid it'd take me too long ta learn how. Hold out yer hand."

Mike nodded, holding out his left hand in an open position. Once he did so, he could feel the bits of flashlight go in his hand. He closed his hand tightly around the pieces, hoping to not drop any. "T-thanks," was all Mike said.

"Not a problem. Now, if yer willin' ta give me yer other hand, I can lead ye ta tha office. Ye can mess with that little doohickey once yer there, when ye can actually see 'gain."

"Ah, alright, sure," Mike replied as he held out his other hand now. After a moment, he could feel the pirate's own hand close in around his. It was surprisingly warm for an android, Mike couldn't help but notice; he would've thought the man would be cold to the touch, but he felt just as warm as a person would. Certainly was a different feeling from the hand he held yesterday, that felt so dead and frigid.

Mike watched as the eyes raised up again, feeling a light tugging as the man stood up. He tried to push himself up with his closed hand while Foxy gently pulled on him to hoist him back in position. It took a bit of effort, but eventually Mike managed to get himself off the ground. His legs still felt a bit airy, unfortunately enough, but luckily there wasn't much pain from the sudden fall.

"I'll try ta go slow enough so ye don't just stumble 'gain, but still gonna be a bit o' a rush; gettin' pretty close ta showtime, after all. Try ta keep up, alright?"

"Don't really have much choice, do I?"

"Nay, ye don't," the pirate replied as he guided the man in the darkness now. It was a good thing he decided to be helpful this go around; he probably would have died just stumbling around, trying to find a wall.

It took a few moments of walking, and a couple of accidental bumps and apologies when Mike would go a bit too fast for the android's pace, but eventually they made it to the office. Foxy used his hook to flip on the light switch fixated on the wall, giving sudden light to the once impenetrable darkness. Mike flinched lightly at the unexpected brightness, but recovered quick enough once his eyes adjusted.

"There we go then," Foxy said as he let go of the man's hand now.

Mike felt a bit sad at the sudden coldness his hand now felt. He couldn't help but admit that the warmth of the android was a pleasant change from the bitterly cold air, especially since the place didn't have heating during the night. But he tried best not to show it, moving his hand underneath his other as he transferred the pieces over; his hand had gotten a bit irritated from the parts digging in, so it was time to give it some relief.

"Uh, th-thanks again man. Wasn't expecting to just fall like that, and _really _wasn't expecting this dinky thing to break like it did. Hopefully the bulb isn't broken, can't exactly replace that part easily," Mike thanked the man, walking more into the room and sitting himself down in the chair.

Foxy gave a light smile and nodded, "Like I said, no trouble at all. Would've been cold o' me ta just stand an' watch, after all. Now, don't mean ta be rude, but probably should be gettin' back ta tha cove 'bout now. Freddy would throw an absolute fit if I wasn't in proper position when tha game starts."

"Oh, yeah, sure. I… guess I'll see you later? Unless this somehow makes your visit void now or something," Mike said as he alternated the pieces in between his hands now, staring up at the pirate.

"Nay, it shouldn't. Doesn't count as a visit since it's not durin' tha game's run time. I'll probably come 'round fairly early, give ye a bit o' time ta prepare fer Freddy, so look forward ta that," Foxy said, his smile turning gentle as he backed out to the door frame.

"Alright then, I will. Try to keep good on your word, captain," Mike smiled back, setting the pieces on the desk now as he grew tired of dealing with them.

"Cap'n Foxy always keeps good on his word, matey! No worries 'bout that! Remember, check Pirate Cove!" Foxy gave a two-fingered salute as he side-stepped down the hallway, disappearing in a matter of moments.

Mike gave out a light chuckle, before turning his attention to the flashlight again. It indeed was what he thought had happened; the cap had popped out and caused the batteries to spew out. He picked up the bulb section to examine it, making sure the bulb didn't burst in the fall. It didn't appear so, which gave Mike some relief; he had no idea if he'd be able to find a replacement for it so easily, and it was hard to come across small flashlights like this just casually shopping.

He sat down the part as he picked up the main body of the flashlight. Looking into it to make sure nothing had come loose, he picked up one of the cell batteries and dropped it down the tube. He did that two more times, and needed to do it one more time as the flashlight took four of them. He felt around the desk, not looking up from the flashlight for the last battery, but wasn't able to feel it.

Looking up now, he frowned deeply when he noticed the battery wasn't present on the desk. He looked down around the floor to make sure he hadn't knocked it over, then looked under the desk in case it rolled under. He had no such luck locating the battery, which caused him to let out a sigh. Well that's just great, he thought.

Mike took the lid of the flashlight and screwed it back in place. Even if it was missing a battery, he would at least make sure the thing was in one piece. Didn't want to just leave it open and have the batteries be lost in the vacuum that was his bag. Once the top was back on, Mike pressed the button in a vain attempt to see if the light would come on. It was a no go, the bulb remained off as was expected.

The phone started to ring once Mike was finished with his little repair job. Taking a quick look at the clock, the hands said it was midnight on the dot. Mike placed the flashlight in one of the small pockets and zipped it back up. Once he was finished with that, he picked up the phone and put it to his ear, "Hello?"

"Hello, hello? Hey! Hey, wow, day 4. I knew you could do it," the voice of the phone guy sounded rushed this time, not really giving any pauses this go around.

"Uh, hey, listen, I may not be around to send you another message tomorrow," a banging noise was heard in the background, sounding a lot like the noise Mike heard yesterday when he was nearly caught by Foxy. "It's-It's been a bad night here for me. Um, I-I'm kinda glad that I recorded my messages for you… ahem, uh, when I did."

The banging only got louder and more frequent as the message continued, causing Mike to feel stressed. "Uh, hey, do me a favor. Maybe sometime, uh, you could check inside those suits in the back room? I'm gonna try to hold out until someone checks. Maybe it won't be so bad," the pounding got overpowering at this point, making it hard to hear out the rest of what the guy was saying.

"Uh, I-I-I-I always wondered what was in all those empty heads back there. You know…" at this point, music began to play in the background, sounding out to something Mike found familiar, but wasn't entirely sure the name of it off the top of his head. It sounded like some sort of classical song he'd probably heard during elementary school music class, but played out in a music box tone. A low, gasping noise sounded on the phone, causing a shiver to run down Mike's spine at how breathy it was.

"Oh, no-" was the last thing Mike heard before a deafening sound played through the phone, causing Mike to pull the phone away from his ear and flinch. The noise was so loud he could still hear it with relative clarity, sounding like a low-pitched shriek before it turned to static, then turned to the dial tone.

Mike simply stared at the phone now, a deep frown etched into his face. So, the guy didn't make it? Mike had thought they would've, given the fact they seemed to have known what they were doing. Granted, it also seemed like the guy didn't realize the animatronics were a lot more than what first looks gave them, but they at least appeared to have figured out how they worked without the bit of guidance from Foxy.

Mike hung the phone up, a deep feeling of dread washing over him. Rest in peace, phone guy, whoever you may have been.

—

Mike pressed the door button on Chica as she appeared into view. This was the third time she'd appeared tonight, and it wasn't even 2 yet. Bonnie also had appeared multiple times, but always would seem to leave just as soon as he closed the door on them. The two of them certainly were the most active they've been all week, but as a result neither would stick around for very long.

In fact, after Mike looked at the left side to make sure Bonnie wasn't around, looking back over to the right showed that Chica had already left; didn't even stay around for ten seconds. A quick look at the cameras revealed she was back in the first section of the east hallway, standing around as were per usual. Mike switched the cameras over to the west side to try and locate Bonnie.

After a few flips through the cameras, Mike eventually found Bonnie standing in the backroom, adjusting the positions of a couple of the heads on the shelves. Mike couldn't help but remember what the phone guy said as he watched the parts be moved around. "_Uh, hey, do me a favor. Maybe sometime, uh, you could check inside those suits in the backroom? I'm gonna try to hold out until someone checks. Maybe it won't be so bad_."

Mike wondered if they possibly were still in there, battered and bloodied. He had no idea how long ago that message was recorded; it could've been days, it could've been weeks. If they _did_ survive, Mike hadn't the foggiest idea on what their condition would have been. It wouldn't be pretty, that's all he knew. Mike examined the parts in the room to see if he could notice anything off about them; blood, a lump of sorts, anything that could hint to him that the guy was in there. The camera quality was simply too poor to tell, and Bonnie messing around with the heads certainly made it more difficult to examine them.

Mike jumped a little and lightly gasped when he felt something touch against his shoulder. Looking up, he quickly discovered it was the android again; trying to get his attention. Foxy moved his hand away once the man realized he was in the room now. "Sorry 'bout that; said hello a couple o' times but none o' 'em got yer attention. Didn't mean ta startle ye."

Mike shook his head as he pressed the tablet's button to power it down. "No no, it's my fault. Got a bit too distracted watching Bonnie mess about, needed a little fright to bring me back to my surroundings." Once the tablet was shut off, Mike put it back to the desk, pushing it to a good enough position so it wouldn't just fall off.

"They're in tha backroom, right? Bonnie loves ta mess around with tha spares; sorta has fun puttin' 'em together then takin' 'em 'part, or mismatchin' tha pieces ta make somethin' all awkward. It's one way ta keep entertained, I suppose," Foxy leaned himself against the desk as he crossed his legs, tapping his foot in a steady rhythm.

"Ah, yeah, they're back there. Sorta was just shocked to see them doing something other than stand around, heh…" Mike couldn't help but have his eyes wander off to the tablet, still wondering at the idea of the guy being in one of those suits.

"Aye, believe it or not, we do like ta do other things than just terrorize ye. Try not ta let it distract ye too much though, 'specially since it's startin' ta get ta tha part o' tha week where stuff gets intense," Foxy positioned his arms to be behind him as he relaxed himself. "So, does yer thing still work?"

"Eh, I don't know. One of the batteries is still missing, so I can't really check to see if it does or not. It seems like everything's still in order though, and the bulb looks alright, so hopefully once I get a battery again the thing will work good as new."

Foxy scrunched up his face slightly, looking a bit disappointed in himself. "So I did miss a piece, eh? If ye want, I can go back an' see if I can find it. Might take a bit o' time though, 'specially if it went off pretty far, so ye'd have ta be in guard mode fer a while."

Mike hummed softly, before responding, "Actually… you said it's safe to go out as long as I'm with you, right?"

"Aye, durin' me visits yer completely safe. Just have ta be 'round me so tha others realize it. Ye want ta come along this time?" Foxy raised his eyebrows.

"Ah, sure, if you don't mind. I… sorta want to check something out in the backroom, if it's alright. Just curious about something there," Mike fidgeted a little in his seat, anticipating the pirate's answer.

Foxy smiled gently as he nodded, "Sure, sounds like a plan. If Bonnie's still there, I'll stick 'round til yer done; I don't expect they'll do anythin' once they first see me, but I'll stay 'round fer tha reassurance. Then when yer done, we can go lookin' fer yer battery together."

Mike's eyebrows furrowed a little in a confused look at that statement. He had expected that maybe Foxy would look for the battery first, and when he located it he would use his flashlight to look around. "Erm, I can't really see without my flashlight. Can't exactly help you look for it."

Foxy chuckled lightly at the man's response. "Well o' course I know ye can't see in tha dark. But tha buildin' still has power, so we can just flip tha switch ta turn on tha lights. It shouldn't take that much power, but just in case I'll turn off tha lights in here while we're gone. Save some usage at tha least."

Mike's face relaxed into a more natural position at the statement, "Oh, it does? For some reason I thought only the office area had power at night… Just felt more like these guys would limit it to one place, since they're so stingy with power in the first place."

"Aye, tha whole buildin's still powered. Have ta keep at least tha kitchen runnin'; can't have tha ingredients just spoil overnight, can we? Plus there has ta be some way o' powerin' tha cameras, right?" Foxy stood himself up as he offered his hand, "Well, ye ready?"

Mike looked at the pirate's hand, before asking, "So, you're gonna lead me again?"

"That's tha plan matey. Bit too much effert ta constantly run back an' forth turnin' lights on an' off, an' that'd be a fair waste o' power. I'll turn on tha lights when we're settled in a room, alright?"

"Ah, sure. Sounds good, I guess," Mike took the pirate's hand again as he hoisted himself out of the chair. "Sorry ahead of time if I bump into you again; I'll try to not rush myself this go around."

"No worries lad, I can handle a lil bump. Just try not ta trip o'er me an' we'll be fine!" Foxy let out a chuckle as he used his hook to press the off button on the fan, then lead Mike over to the left doorway. "'bout ta go real dark here, brace yerself."

Mike nodded as Foxy flipped the switch off, immediately getting swallowed up by darkness. He felt himself go stiff as his legs felt like giving out from under him, being reminded of the dream he had just this evening. He didn't even move at first when Foxy began to walk, which caused him to get jerked forward lightly, nearly falling over again right there.

"Eh? Everythin' alright Mike?" Foxy questioned, his eyes appearing once again as he turned himself around.

Mike went blank for a few moments, before he shook his head and brought himself back to reality; staring at the eyes to make the darkness feel less suffocating. "Oh, uh, yeah. I just… got disorientated. Couldn't see anything so my brain sorta shut down everything, ehe…" He walked himself forward to be closer to the android. "I'm sorta bad with darkness like that; if I don't have at least a laser pointer or something to stand out of the blackness, my head feels like it wants to cave in on itself. Ah, I'm sorry if I hinder the progress with that…"

Foxy hummed at that, going quiet for a bit. After a few moments, a little light bulb turned on in his head, "Ye can see me eyes, right? Do they help ye any?"

"Uh, yeah. Actually a lot, they sorta feel like they're guiding me, in fact. Like a will-o'-wisp or something," Mike commented, his stare unwavering to the two glowing eyes.

"Ah, then we got a bit o' an idea then. Hold out yer other hand, I'm gonna switch out so I can reposition meself some more."

"O-Okay?" Mike said as he raised up his other hand. For a second, Mike could feel the pirate's hold on his hand disappear, before it transferred itself to the second hand. The android turned himself around to completely face Mike now, staring into his eyes.

"Alright, gonna try an' walk backwards; that way ye can still have some sort o' visual ta help ye out. I pretty much know this place backwards an' forwards, so I shouldn't run inta any issues. Ready ta go?"

"Ah, yeah. T-thanks for doing this, really wasn't expecting that. But it really does help my head feel a bit more grounded," Mike said, lightly squeezing the pirate's hand in response.

Mike couldn't see it, but a rather large smile now adorned the android's face. "No trouble at all, no trouble at all," Foxy began to move as he guided Mike in more ways than one now.

The pace was slow and steady, so as to not cause any tumbling. Foxy's eyes would occasionally look away to the sides, but seemed to keep a steady hold on Mike when he could. His eyes were rather comforting, Mike couldn't help but think. The soft glow and vibrant yellow created a soothing effect, like two giant stars within a void. It was mesmerizing, he simply couldn't look away from them.

And the fact Foxy's stare seemed to constantly be on him gave him a warm feeling somehow; like he felt important. It was probably very silly to feel like he did, but the way the android's eyes locked with his made a bubbly feeling blossom in his chest. Mike didn't realize his face had contorted itself with a gentle smile, as he saw how soft of a gaze the artificial eyes held; fueling the pleasant feeling that seemed to spread all over his body. It was a nice change of pace from the usual worry and hesitance he felt towards people.

Foxy turned his head away for a moment to make sure nothing was behind him, and to see how much farther the backroom was from their position. They had just entered the dining area, nearly walking into one of the tables. Foxy steered clear out of the way, and approached the wall to the left side. Putting his hook against the wall, he turned his attention back to Mike once he was settled in. "We're gettin' close now, just a few more feet. Gonna use me hook ta navigate a bit, so yer gonna hear some scrapping."

Mike nodded as they continued their trek. Sure enough, a grinding noise came to end the silence that was once present throughout the building; echoing out throughout the room. Foxy kept his hook to the wall, until he felt it jump a little as it moved from the wall to a door. Foxy looked away again to confirm they were indeed there, seeing the door labeled "Employees Only" to his right. "Well, we made it," Foxy announced, as he knocked on the door with his hook. "Bonnie mate, ye in there still?"

"Hmm? Oh, uh, yeah, I'm in here," a tinny voice called out from the room. It was about the same quality of sound that Foxy had when he was in the suit, but had a bit less static going for it.

"Got a visitor with me this go 'round, we're comin' in!" Foxy said as he pushed the door open more with his shoulder. The door made a very awkward creaking noise, like the hinges really need oiling. It made Mike flinch slightly, covering one of his ears with his free hand.

In a split second, the room was suddenly filled with light; showcasing the entirety of the room now. Mike squinted his eyes in response. "An' let there be light, haha!" Foxy called out, as he let go of the man's hand.

"Woah, you actually managed to convince someone to go out? Talk about a first," Mike looked over to where the voice came from, and was greeted immediately by the sight of the giant rabbit animatronic on the other side of the room. They were turning themself around from whatever they were working on, and now stared at the man with those lifeless eyes. Mike could feel his heart pound in a panicked response, walking behind Foxy like a shy child meeting a stranger.

Foxy looked over his shoulder at the nervous man, then let out a light chuckle. "It's alright lad, Bonnie ain't gonna hurt ye. Yer with me, after all. 'sides, I dare say Bonnie's tha friendliest out o' us all; you'll probably get along pretty well with 'em!" Foxy beamed a smile in reassurance to Mike, patting him on the head with his hand.

Mike couldn't help but whine out still as he looked at the rabbit. Ronnie wasn't kidding when he said Bonnie was the most frightening of the bunch; there was just something about their eyes that was completely unsettling. Mike felt himself shrink in when the rabbit began to approach him.

"Eh, I don't blame him. We haven't had the chance for introductions like you two had, so I don't doubt that I'd still feel like a threat," Bonnie squatted down to be at eye level with the man. If they could, they would have given Mike a smile to show they were friendly, but the suit simply wasn't capable of facial expressions like that. "Anyway, nice to meet ya in a more positive sense! You're Mike, right?"

"A-Ah, y-y-yeah," Mike responded shakily, trying to hide his face more and not look at the animatronic's eyes.

Foxy hummed out a little in contemplation, before coming up with a possible solution, "Bonnie, lax, ye think ye can get out o' tha suit? Pretty sure that's what's makin' tha lad nervous, he was pretty much tha same way with me an' me suit."

"Oh, sure, that's no problem! Was gonna take it off soon anyway, I hate wearing this thing when I don't have to. Way too cramped, bleh," Bonnie stood themself back up. "Uh, if ya don't mind; sorta need some room to get out. Bit too stuffy in here to take it off."

"Aye, o' course," Foxy said as he walked out of the way. Mike followed in pursuit, staying behind the pirate as he watched the rabbit walk out of the room. Mike let out the breath he was holding once the animatronic disappeared from view.

"U-Uh, I'm… sorry for acting like a frightened child. I just… those suits are so _creepy_, and being so close to them is just… just really makes me nope hard," Mike stuttered out, look a fair bit embarrassed with his reaction.

Foxy let out another light chuckle as he gave the man a smile, "It's no problem, yer not tha first person ta find our suits creepy. Somethin' 'bout 'em just doesn't settle well with adults, though tha kiddies still love 'em. Well… most o' tha time, anyway. Bonnie always seemed ta creep people out tha most, too. Never got why, they're rather plain if ye ask me."

Mike nodded in agreement with that statement, "Yeah, my brother can't stand Bonnie, and I have to admit being so close to them was just… eugh. Ah, sorta off-topic now, but just a little curious about something you said; is it alright to ask?"

"O' course! Ye don't have ta ask every time, ye know? I quite like answerin' questions!" Foxy walked some more in the room to lean himself on the table that stood in the middle.

Mike followed suit, standing next to the pirate. "Ah, I just wanted to make sure I didn't mishear or something; it's really nothing important, but I always get a nagging feeling in my head when I'm not sure about something. Did you call Bonnie something different? Ya know, like, how you call me lad? It sorta sounded like ya said 'lax' or something, I dunno."

Foxy smiled earnestly at the question, "Aye, I called 'em lax! They don't like bein' called lad or lass, so I alternate an' call 'em somethin' else! Just somethin' ta make 'em more comfy, only took me 'bout a second ta come up with it."

Mike hummed in understanding, satisfied now that he knew he hadn't misheard. "Ah, so they're non-binary? Sorta gathered when you kept using 'they' to refer to them, but wasn't too sure if you were or if it was just your accent making it sound like it."

Foxy frowned a little as his face went to a confused state, "Erm… not sure I know what that means, ta be honest. Can ye explain it?"

"Oh, right. It's a term you don't really hear much in life, so it's not surprising you don't know it; I only found out about it recently myself, and that was cause of the internet. Um, well, non-binary is when you don't identify yourself as a man or woman; you feel like something different. Some people feel like they're a combination of genders, some feel like a non-specified gender, and some feel like they don't have a gender at all. It's a really wide spectrum, I think it keeps expanding with new terms all the time."

Foxy hummed now, his face lightening up at the explanation, "Oh, that sounds like Bonnie alright. Bonnie was designed ta be male in mind, but always felt like they shouldn't call 'emself a man since they aren't human; human-like, sure, but still not exactly human. I don't mind sayin' I'm a man meself, an' tha others are tha same as me, but Bonnie was always different like that. Interestin' ta know there's a word fer it!"

Mike smiled, he always did feel pretty awesome when he told facts that people didn't know before. "Yeah, learned about it thanks to my brother. He told me a little on it, so I decided to look it up and welp. It.. it sorta feels like me a bit, to be honest. Like, I still feel alright if ya call me a dude and stuff, but I don't exactly feel a hundred percent man, ya know? I don't exactly feel like a woman though, and I wouldn't say I feel like nothing either; but I do feel like I'm _something_ different at least. I think the term for what I felt like was Demiboy or something, can't remember exactly."

Foxy smiled gently as the lad explained, "Well, seems like yer unique in more ways than one, eh? Should I call ye somethin' different from lad, as well?"

Mike shook his head, "Oh, no no, I don't mind being called lad; like I said, I still feel like a man, I just don't feel _entirely_ like a man. Plus I… wouldn't really know of anything else to call me. I know there's, like, different pronouns and stuff, and honestly some of them are pretty cool. But I'm a bit hesitant on trying them out cause holy _shit_, a lot of people give you shit over it."

Foxy nodded as he tapped his fingers to the table, "Alright then, I'll keep callin' ye lad then. If ye ever feel like ye want me ta call ye somethin' else though, don't be hesitant ta tell me though! Whatever helps ye feel comfortable with me, I'll do it!"

Mike felt a little shock at just how accepting the pirate was about that. Before him, pretty much every stranger who learned that about him called him an attention seeker, a "special snowflake," and would never take him seriously. He remembered quite well how many anonymous messages he received the day he posted about his feelings about his gender, how completely discouraging it was.

In fact, most of his side of the family wouldn't even acknowledge it a lot of the time; his dad was the only one of the bunch that didn't completely disregard it. Even his own mother thought it was outrageous. "How could you not feel completely like a man? God made you a man, through and through!" she would say. It was one of the reason he never really visited them outside of alternating family visits for the holidays, and even then it usually was uncomfortable visits. He still loved his family though, so he would try to make the best of what he could.

Besides, he was grateful that at least one side of the family was supportive of him. Ronnie's family was absolutely fantastic, often giving encouragement to explore more with pronouns and identities. It shouldn't have been shocking, given that they were fully behind Ronnie during his own transition; but it still was a pleasant surprise to hear some support when it felt like everyone else was against him.

Mike and Foxy heard the creaking of the door again, causing them to look over at the entrance. A person now stood in the way, stretching their back and groaning out a little. They looked just like one of the people Mike saw the other day on the cameras.

"Augh, there we go then. Holy crap, took a bit to get out this go around; guess I need to tell Jennifer I'm in need of a bit of refining," Bonnie said, walking into the room fully and going in front of Mike. They were about the same height as him, probably only being a few centimeters taller if Mike had to guess. "This better dude?"

Mike nodded, he was a bit out of it since it was pretty hard to grasp still that all of the animatronics were actually humanesque robots. Even with Bonnie standing right in front of him, it felt so completely strange; were they really just a rabbit a moment ago?

"Ahoy Bonnie! Mikey here just told me a term that sounds like ye! Says it was called 'non-binary,' I believe; means ye don't think yer a man nor woman!" Foxy exclaimed, smiling brightly at his friend.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, I knew about that," Bonnie said, rather nonchalantly.

"Eh? How'd ye know?" Foxy now looked confused again, especially since Mike had told him it wasn't very commonly known.

"Believe it or not, I actually try to use that hunk of junk we call a computer. Googled 'not man or woman' and got a result saying something about a third gender. Did some looking around with the links after that and eventually found out I'm Agender! Took probably half an hour though, and that was on one of the _good_ days, eugh."

"Oh? Why didn't ye tell us 'bout it then? Seemed like somethin' pretty important."

"I _did_ tell you guys though, that's the thing. Or well, I told Freddy and Chica, and I _thought _I told you as well. But… thinking about it now, I think you were really busy that day, so if I tried to tell you I think you didn't really pay much attention. Eh, sorry 'bout that then," Bonnie shrugged, tapping their foot against their leg.

Foxy followed suit in shrugging, chuckling out a little, "Ah well, I know 'bout it now, at least! Learn somethin' new everyday," Foxy looked back over at Mike once he finished his brief talk with Bonnie. "So, what were ye wantin' ta look fer in here? Perhaps Bonnie an' I could be o' some help!"

Mike seemed a bit lost in his own thoughts, looking over the other android that stood in front of him. Now that he could properly view them outside of the grainy camera feed, he had to admit that Bonnie had a rather cute appearance going for them. A round face with soft features, wonderfully curly hair, brilliant eyes that shined with life; they had the kind of look going for them that you couldn't help but go "aw" over.

Foxy frowned a little, looking at how Mike seemed to be enamored by the former rabbit to not even pay attention to him. He couldn't help but feel a rather negative feeling form in the pit of his stomach section, one that he would describe best as a combination of disappointment and… well, he wasn't quite sure. It wasn't a feeling he particularly recognized, something he didn't really feel all that much to even notice it before. But it was something, something that made him want to reclaim Mike's attention in whatever way he could.

Bonnie noticed the rather sad look that now adorned Foxy's face, then looked over at the human whose stare was absolutely fixed on them. Clearing their throat, they spoke up, "Um, Mike, I do believe Foxy's talking to ya."

Mike noticed the android's lips move, but still was too deep in his examination to really hear them out. He blinked a little, then brought his attention back to his surroundings. "Oh, what? Sorry, sorta zoned out a sec."

"Foxy asked ya something. Something about wanting to look around the room?" Bonnie replied, looking back over to the pirate.

Mike's brain jumped back to action as he remembered the reason why he even wanted to came back here in the first place; to see if the phone guy had survived and was still stuffed in a suit. "Oh, uh, yeah. I just… wanted to look around a little. Nothing major really, just me being bored on the job," Mike said, getting himself off the table as he walked over to the area of the room that housed the suits. He didn't really think it was a good idea to mention he was looking for a possible corpse.

Foxy felt the negative feeling only grow more intense as he watched Mike walk over to the other side of the room. Something about how Mike responded to Bonnie and not him made his stomach absolutely sour, and he had no idea why. He wondered if it was a sign that something was going wrong in his system, and if it did he hoped it wasn't anything too severe. At least it was Friday tomorrow, he could ask Jennifer about it then.

Mike looked into the suits one by one, seeing if he could find any trace of the phone guy. He knew that if he hoped to find even just a finger of the dude, he'd have to look for the most miniscule amount of blood. After giving each suit a good once over, and double-checking a couple that seemed a bit off, Mike sighed out as his search ultimately proved to be fruitless.

Not paying any attention to his surroundings, when he turned around he ended up running smack dab into one of the standing endoskeletons; causing it to fall over on top of another one and cause a domino reaction of skeletons falling down. Mike flinched as he watched the structures collapse on themselves, gritting his teeth tightly in response. Eventually the clamor died down as the final skeleton came tumbling down, crashing down in a spectacular mess.

"Shit, ah, sorry!" Mike swore out, squatting down as he tried to hoist up at least one of the skeletons back in place. However, the metal was surprisingly heavy, and Mike had trouble getting it even a few inches off the ground. He tried to adjust his position to see if that would help any, but pretty much every way he went was met with the same results; barely any progress and Mike slipping on himself.

Mike grunted out as he kept pushing up. Suddenly the load was lifted off of his arms, and the skeleton went up in one quick motion. Mike saw the pirate now stood over him, lifting up the structure with his one hand. Mike's mouth was slightly agape at how effortlessly the android made the action look.

"Have a bit o' an accident, eh?" Foxy spoke out, bending over as he lifted up another skeleton and stood it back up. He adjusted the position so that it wouldn't just fall down again as soon as he let go.

"H-How did you do that?! Those things are like, ridiculously heavy, and I swear I'm not a weak guy!" Mike said rather incredulously, watching the android repeat the action and seeing in the corner of his eye that Bonnie was doing much of the same.

Foxy chuckled out, squatting himself down now to be level with the kneeling man. "Well, we're designed ta be pretty strong; have ta be ta move 'round in tha suits like we do. Pickin' up one o' these is just like pickin' up a knocked o'er hat rack; no trouble at all."

Mike's eyes shined in renewed excitement; did the android really have super strength? It seemed like every day he was learning something new about how the android worked, and every new bit of information he learned lighted a passionate flame within him. He couldn't help but feel giddy like a child, even if it was something as clichéd as that. "W-Woah. How strong are you?"

Foxy let out a smile as he offered his hand to the man, "Want ta see fer yerself? Promise I won't drop ye."

Mike didn't even give time to think as he took the android's hand. The two stood themselves up, then Foxy lead Mike away from endoskeletons so as to not cause another accident. "Alright, brace yerself, yer 'bout ta go sky high," Foxy said once they were a fair enough distance.

Foxy lowered himself again, putting his left hand underneath Mike's legs and his hook to his back. With a single grunt, Foxy hoisted the man up, keeping his grip steady so as to not accidentally drop him. He kept raising the man higher and higher until he was literally holding him above his head, and Mike could practically touch the ceiling now.

"AAH HOLY SHIT WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Mike shrieked out, absolutely terrified of the position he was in. When the pirate said he would lift him, he thought it would be at most him holding him up on his shoulders. What he didn't expect was to be held like Link holding a damn Triforce piece.

Foxy let out a laugh as he spun around once, then lowered the man back down to hold him bridal style. "Well, had ta prove ta ye how strong I am, no? What better way than that?"

"W-What better way that _that_?! Dude, if you dropped me that shit could've easily broken my back!" Mike lightly punched at the pirate's chest, not really wanting to hurt the android but also not exactly letting him off scot-free.

"Ah, but I didn't now, did I? Cap'n Foxy said he wouldn't drop ye, an' by god he always keeps good on his word!" Foxy beamed at the man, hugging him a little tighter to him to further emphasis his words.

Mike let out a pout, then felt a smile form on his own lips as he let out a light giggled. Well, he couldn't help but admit that he found that pretty exciting, once he got past the initial fear over it. He pushed at the man's chest in a playful manner, "Okay then, guess that was one way to show you weren't joking about. Certainly wasn't expecting you to just hold me up so easily, thought you'd at least struggle a little. Though… I'm a bit glad you didn't; if you did I probably would have been a _lot_ more hesitant on your words."

Foxy sat the man back down on his feet, helping him straighten himself once he was firmly planted on solid ground again. Mike stretched his legs out to get them accustomed to not being held like that, going on his tip of his toes for a moment.

"You two having fun?" Bonnie called out, fixing the last endoskeleton back in place.

Mike suddenly realized they had left Bonnie on their own to clean up the mess, and Mike could feel an embarrassed blush form on his cheeks. "Oh, uh… sorry we sorta ditched you, ah…"

Bonnie smiled and shook their head, walking back over to the two. "Nah, it's fine. I know Foxy loves to be a show-off whenever he can be, so it was to be expected. Besides, not like it's a hard job anyway," Bonnie turned their full attention to Mike again. "So, satisfied with what you saw?"

Mike frowned a little, not entirely sure about the answer, "Uh… well, in one way, yeah, I am. But in another I'm sorta not. Uh… Could I-" Mike was about to utter the question again, then remembered what Foxy said and stopped himself. He had to resist the urge to constantly ask that, if he hoped not to annoy the android. "Uh, did you guys know the former security guard?"

Both of their looks went to a more neutral position, then they both shook their heads. "No I did-" "Can't say I-" both of them had started, then stopped as they realized they were talking over one another. Bonnie gestured to Foxy to go on first.

Foxy cleared his throat, continuing on. "Sorry 'bout that. Anyway, can't say I did. They didn't pull a whoops like ye did on yer first night, so I didn't do me visits with 'em. All I knew 'bout 'em was that they were possibly a lad."

"Yeah, honestly you're the first guard I've actually had any sort of interaction with. Only thing I knew about them is that they were probably the longest lasting guard we had; nearly made it out alive, but…" Bonnie trailed off.

"… But their last day was on a Sunday. As a result, Freddy assigned us all 20s, ta make sure they were as good as dead. Remember it quite well, it's so far been tha only time Freddy's ever went that drastic," Foxy's look became fairly solemn at that, recalling how the guard was pleading for their life before it eventually all went quiet. He was thankful it wasn't him who did the "honors" that go around; no amount of mental preparation was ever enough to make him not feel regret for the actions. "Why'd ye want ta know 'bout 'em lad?"

Mike sighed, shaking his own head and looking down, "Ah, I just… Dude pre-recorded some messages for me, and at first I thought that meant they made it out alive. But then I got today's message, and I… I think I basically heard them die. Or at least, one of you got them and made a really bad noise as a result. I was… I was hoping they had made it; give me a bit of hope that I could maybe make it if someone else did," Mike looked back, his attention to the pirate now. "Has… has _anyone_ made it out alive?" Mike said in a weak voice.

Foxy and Bonnie both looked at each other, a concerned look plastered on their faces. Foxy motioned for Bonnie to go first this time.

"Weeell… Technically, there _have_ been some people who've made it out alive. But those people… those people were ones that worked for us before Freddy decided to do his game, so it's not like their lives were actually in danger. Going by guards that's been with us since the game started though… no. No, there hasn't been any survivors," Bonnie tried to dance around the question at first, but ultimately decided it was best to tell Mike point blank.

Mike's frown intensified greatly, a completely sad look encompassing his eyes. He could practically feel himself wanting to tear up at the sheer hopelessness he felt; if no one before him's made it out before, what were the chances that he was going to? He was just some damn loser, someone who could hardly keep a job longer than a week; the fact he even survived this long seemed like a complete miracle.

Foxy couldn't help but share in the sadness, watching how the man went from awestruck to completely defeated looking in a matter of minutes. He placed his hand on the man's shoulder, giving him a gentle look. "Hey matey, come on now. Just cause tha others weren't so lucky doesn't mean yer fate's sealed. Yer a pretty attentive lad, other than tha first day an' yer runnin' late mess yesterday, ye've done a damn good job at keepin' me at bay; an' like I said, I'm tha one with tha most kills."

He rubbed Mike's shoulder in a gentle manner, giving it a light squeeze, "'sides, I gotta say ye've got some great luck on yer side. Tha two times ye did mess up, ye recovered without a hitch, right? Still alive ta tell tha tale, that's far more than anyone else could've said. Ye've got fast reflexes, a keen eye… I wouldn't be surprised at all if ye ended up bein' tha first ta get out o' here. Not one bit, in fact I'm looking forward ta hailin' ye goodbye yer final night! But in order ta do that, ye gotta keep a strong spirit, gotta keep yerself determined fer success."

Mike rubbed at his watery eyes, still feeling a sense of dread despite the pirate's words. "B-But… what are even the chances I'd be someone to do something that before has been impossible? No success rate, no survivors…"

Foxy put his hook on the man's other shoulder now, staring straight at him with as soft of a look he could manage. "Lad, if ye really want ta know, most people died their second night. Ye've literally doubled tha average, ye've gone up an' beyond! I can see good things comin' yer way, I can see ye walkin' out that door every day fer as long as yer here! 'sides, Cap'n Foxy's helped ye out a lil, hasn't he? Told ye what ye had to do, what ta prepare fer, who ta give tha most attention ta… An' no doubt yer a clever lad, yer gonna put that knowledge ta good use!"

The pirate smiled sincerely at the man, showing him his full courage in his accomplishment. "But, o' course, ye'll never know if ye just give up hope now, would ye? Can't just call it quits here! Not since ye've gotten so far already! Ye've still got a long way ta go, but I'll be cheerin' fer ye every bit o' tha way!"

Mike could feel a warmth blossom in his chest again from the pure sincerity the android seemed to express. His mouth curved up into a shaky smile, and he could feel a tear run down his cheek. "Y-Yeah, I gotta… go on strong, eh? T-Take no shit, power through it all… I can't just… I can't die yet, I've got so much to live for. I… I won't die here, I'll… I'll make damn sure of that. T-Thanks, captain, I… I sorta needed the en-encouragement, heh…" He wiped his cheek with his other arm, sniffing as he did so.

Foxy only continued with his compassionate look, moving his hand from the man's shoulders to his upper arm and rubbing it gently. "O' course. We all need a bit o' encouragement now an' then. Ye… ye feelin' any better now?"

Mike chuckled out slightly, nodding his head as more tear went down his cheeks. "Y-Yeah, I just… just can't s-seem to stop crying. N-Not bad tears, mind you, they're just… I-I can't really explain it that well, I'm sorry."

Foxy gave a nod, moving his hand and hook now back to his side. "Tha good kinda tears, I get that well enough. Well, we still got a few more minutes til me visit's up; what say we go out an' try ta find that elusive battery, eh?"

Mike sniffed again, looking around the room to see if he could see a clock to confirm the time. There didn't seem to be a trace of one around the room, which caused him to feel slightly confused. "U-Uh… How do you kn-know?"

"Well, we have a sort o' built in clock in our sensors ta help us know tha time; that way we performed our shows on schedule, make sure tha place is in order before it opens an' closes, etcetera etcetera. It sorta has a bad habit o' needin' resettin' every couple o' months, but all o' ours just got reset last week when Chica's ended up bein' an hour behind; so mine should be pretty accurate. Should be… 'bout 2:39, an I came at 1:57," Foxy turned his attention away from the man to look at Bonnie again, "Lax, can ye confirm ye got tha same?"

"Oh, so now I'm here?" Bonnie let out a chuckle at how they were suddenly noticed again when it felt like they'd gone plain invisible. "Ah, yeah, I got 2:39 too. Ya need help looking for it?"

"Aye, any help would be swell. I believe it's a lil circle thingy, an' it should be near tha third an' fourth row o' tables. Keep an eye out there."

"Aye Aye captain," Bonnie said, giving a salute and starting towards the door.

"Oh! If yer goin' out now, could ye flip tha lights on in there? That way Mikey here can see."

"Oh, yeah, sure, no problem. Come on out when you're ready," Bonnie confirmed, not losing their pace a bit as they walked out the room.

Mike blinked a little as he processed what he just said. "So… you always know the time?"

"Aye, that I do. Have ta know when's a good time ta visit, don't I? Perks o' bein' a robot, eh?" Foxy had a cheeky smile, tapping his head with his hand. "2:40 now, got ta get ta it!" Foxy gestured for Mike to follow him, walking out towards the door.

Mike followed in pursuit, watching as the room beyond the doorway suddenly brighten up with light. Foxy turned off the backroom's lights as a result, and held out the door for the man. Mike walked out the room, and once he was properly out Foxy followed suit, shutting the door behind him.

"So, there any good reason you ended up staying later than expected the past few nights? Ya seemed to stress that being by the hour was pretty important, so surely you would have realized when it was starting to get time to wrap things up."

Foxy shrugged, keeping pace with the man, "Eh, no real reason. Just like talkin' an' I sorta let time slip by. Gotta try not ta push it though, else Freddy's gonna make those times 'ccumulate an' make it so I can't visit a day. Can't go havin' none o' that now."

Mike nodded as the two men joined Bonnie at the middle of the room. They looked around rather thoroughly, checking underneath all the tables and chairs, yet couldn't seem to find any trace of the little cell battery. It was almost like it had disappeared in hyperspace, much like a pen you'd accidentally drop and then can't locate.

They did a good five minutes of looking, even spreading out beyond to the second and fifth tables in case it rolled far away. But eventually they called off their search once time started to get dire, labeling the battery's position as "Fuck knows where." The men said their goodbyes to the agender android, before Foxy began to lead Mike once again to the office; walking backwards much like he did before so that Mike could have some visual stimuli within the darkness.

Once the two were returned to the office, Foxy waited for Mike to get readjusted for work before he said his own farewells; giving a hearty chuckle and reminding Mike once again to check Pirate Cove. Mike continued his night on then with renewed vigor; Freddy wouldn't have a prayer of catching him tonight.

—

"Alright Foxy, your turn now!" a lady called from within the backroom, signifying the pirate could come in. The door squeaked open as the man walked into the room, going to the middle and sitting himself atop the table.

"Ahoy Jennifer, how's yer day goin' so far?" the pirate greeted, adjusting his position to slide himself more on the table.

"Going pretty great sir! Bonnie's merging systems needed a bit of tuning up, but it was an easy enough fix once I got the levels back in sync. How about you? You said you thought ya might be having some issues?" Jennifer said as she placed one of her tools back in her kit.

"Aye, not too sure cause I haven't experienced it since last night, but better safe than sorry no? I think somethin's off with me stomach, made a really awkward feelin' that I can't recall ever experiencing before," Foxy tapped at his stomach, right at the middle to show where it manifested the most.

"Hmm, can ya describe it? Like, was it painful? Uncomfortable? Just a weird feeling?"

"I… dunno really how ta explain it. It sorta was a twinge feelin', like somethin' was twistin' up that wasn't supposed ta. Didn't last too long, but it was noticeable,"

"Oh dear, might be a gear having some issues. Take off your shirt, okay?"

Foxy obliged, removing his shirt so that Jennifer could have access. Once the shirt was off and put safely to the side, Jennifer pressed in the stomach area until a click was heard, popping off the panel and revealing the machinery within. Placing it off to her side, Jennifer then took out her flashlight and shined it within the circuitry.

After a good few minutes of watching the gears turn, and examining to make sure nothing seemed to have come loose or gotten in the way of their rotating, Jennifer puffed out her cheeks a little and shrugged. "Gears look to be in fine order, so apparently it's not them. Can ya tell me what happened when the feeling first started? Maybe that'll help narrow it down."

"Well… ye know me game I sometimes play with guards?" Jennifer nodded as she looked around the inner mechanisms some more, looking out to see if anything seemed out of place. "Started doin' that again with tha recent one, fella named Mike. Lovely lad, was a really pleasant surprise when he seemed eager ta cooperate. Anyway, last night him an' I went out o' tha office ta this room cause he was curious 'bout somethin', an' as a result we had a run in with Bonnie. Nothin' bad, mind ye, just a run in."

Foxy clicked his tongue, continuing on, "Well, once Bonnie got out o' their suit, Mike's attention was sorta all on 'em. Tried talkin' ta him but he didn't really seem ta acknowledge me, an' it took Bonnie speakin' up fer him ta respond. That's sorta when tha feelin' started, it was… I can't really describe it well. Part o' me was sad, but tha other part just felt… _sour_. Like I was mad at Bonnie or somethin', but absolutely nothin' had happened ta warrant such a reaction."

Jennifer paused her examination, then let out a chuckle as she shook out her head, "Foxy, that doesn't seem to be anything to do with your stomach. Sounds to me like you got a bit jealous, that's a perfectly normal emotional response," Jennifer clicked off the flashlight, returning it to her kit.

"… Jealous? But why would I be jealous? Nothin' happened, an' I swear I'm not tha jealous type!" Foxy felt a little shock at how it came to be such a simple reaction, he thought for sure it was a sign that something was failing within.

"Well, seemed like when Bonnie managed to avert all the attention away from you—something that's sorta never been done before—you couldn't help but feel envious because of it. Probably felt like your thunder was being stolen, even though nothing was actually happening."

Foxy furrowed his brow, still feeling a little confused, "But I've never really felt that way before; not from losin' me place as entertainment, not from others ignorin' me… Why'd it happen now? If it's such a normal thing, why'd it take me so long ta experience it?"

"Hmm… Can't really say why, to be honest. I thought you _had_ experienced it before, but ya just never talked about it. Like you don't always talk about when you feel sad or mad, so I thought it was just a case of you never thought it was drastic enough to bring up. Are you _absolutely_ sure this is a first for you?"

"Well… Maybe not an exact first, but it's by far tha most noticeable instance o' it. Tha only time that's really made me go 'woah, what's happenin'?'"

Jennifer popped the panel back on, patting it a little to make sure it was down all the way. "Perhaps it has to do with that Mike guy? I don't get how a random security guard you barely know would ignite such an apparently intense instance of it, but since it happened when he didn't give you attention for a second, that kinda narrows it down. What do ya think of him?"

"Oh, well like I said, I think he's a lovely lad. Somethin' about him just sorta clicks with me, I feel. Like he's a joy ta talk ta, seems really excited ta learn 'bout how I work, very open ta different things… Somethin' about it just makes me feel rather giddy when I'm 'round him. Kinda reminds me o' tha excitement I used ta feel when I performed."

"Ah, then maybe that's it! He makes you feel like your performing again, you find enjoyment with impressing him since he shows interest! Since it's been so long, you probably couldn't help but feel extremely jealous when the show was put off of you for a moment; even though you knew full and well that it was a pointless thing to get upset over."

Foxy hummed at that explanation. Well, that _would_ explain some things, but he couldn't help but feel like there was more to it; a deeper reason than simply wanting to be in the spotlight again. But he really couldn't come up with anything else that made as much sense as that; especially since he did love to impress, and the lad was no exception. He still felt like it was too hasty of a response he had—that Mike only looked away for all of a minute but to him it felt like he was out of sight and mind completely—but he guessed that jealously was just bizarre like that.

"Maybe yer right. I do like puttin' on a sort o' show fer the lad, so maybe I'm just so glad ta have that kind o' attention again. Funny how emotions seems ta make such strong emotional responses, thought fer sure my digestion system was leakin' or somethin'."

"Yup, don't know how dad managed such accurate emotional responses in you guys, but damn if he did. Emotions are a tricky mistress, sometimes you love them, sometimes you want them to just piss away. Well, anyway, you're free to go now. Nothing's wrong, ya just got confused for a while."

Foxy nodded, taking his shirt and putting it back on. "Thanks 'gain Jennifer. Dunno what I'd do without yer guidance every now an' then, probably think I was breakin' down if I so much as cried a bit too much."

Jennifer gave a laugh, shaking her own head at that. "Never understood how a robot could be such a hypochondriac. Well, whatever the case, I'll see ya next week, alright?"

"Aye aye! Be seein' ye lass!" Foxy jumped himself off the table, giving a salute as he walked out the door.


	5. Panic Attack

**Alrighty, here we go with the fifth now. Sunk about 30 hours into Alpha Sapphire, so now I'm getting a bit sick of games and just want to write some more. Took a while to think up a beginning this go, but eventually settled with something I like.**

**This is where I think stuff's going to start going super cute. Basically I've had in mind that this story was just gonna be a mush thing for me, to write feel-good stuff and cute interactions. So now hopefully I can play some more with them now that we're pretty much off of introductions.**

**Like I also said though, this is probably where chapters get much smaller, as I get to more compact ideas. But I'd still like to keep some length just cause it feels more satisfying. Also, gonna say ahead of time, I'm most likely going to be skipping days with this story; I'm not going to do a day for every day Mike's at the office, as I imagine him working longer than a week like the game made it out, and I imagine him working for at least a few days past Christmas. So that would mean well over 40 days, and lord I simply don't have that many ideas for a chapter each. I could blend some days together in one chapter I guess, but eh, I'm picky.**

**If you have suggestions of ideas you think would be good, then hey, hit me up. If I can think up something good with that idea, it may very well make it as a chapter. I'll of course give credit as to who sparked the idea though, if it's something I haven't come up with myself and simply haven't reached. But if not, I will say this story has about ten chapters completely planned; the first six and the final four. And I have ideas for chapters, but I'm not sure when they'll come into play. I'd say I have at least 15 chapters maybe? Dunno man.**

**Also, just gonna say now, video games are probably going to be a reoccurring thing with the story. I might not say blatantly what games they are all the time, as sometimes it simply isn't relevant to the story to tell them, but you can have fun guessing (or googling) what game I'm trying to portray. I would just make stuff up but like. Making up imaginary video games is just holy hell. See if you can guess what game I'm talking about this go around!**

**And I have absolutely no idea how to write a doctor's meeting. I'm trying to base it off of my own personal experiences with my own psychiatrist, but I didn't just want to make a carbon copy of my own sessions so eeeeh. Sorry if it feels really forced or awful.**

**Well, anyway, let's get started.**

**Warning(s): Ableism Mention [Section 3]**

* * *

><p>Mike maneuvered around the Mummy Boy that spawned in his path, avoiding the confrontation for something more favorable. He had been running around in circles for a good five minutes now, trying to locate Metal Slimes to quickly raise up his party's levels. After all, four thousand experience a pop was nothing to sneeze at; to get the same amount with the normal spawning monsters, he would've had to fought at least 35 Earthenwarriors, and that alone took more time to deal with than hunting at least one of the elusive experience grinds.<p>

He couldn't help but feel frustrated at the lack of luck he seemed to have been experiencing today; so far he'd only managed to run into three of them, and two of them ran away before he could deliver the final blow. It was always so disheartening, nearly having a victory on your hands but then in one fell swoop it all turned out to be for naught.

Mike kept going around the square dungeon, dodging out of the way of spawning enemies. Sometimes he would accidentally run into a Magus or Mean Spirit when he would zone out from the monotonous endeavor, but due to the low experience yield they had, he usually didn't even bother trying to fight them. Those few precious seconds of battle could've been all the difference in finding those Slimes, and he didn't want a waste a moment.

After a few more minutes of sighing out in frustration, Mike perked up when he saw the silver tear-drop creature fall from the roof. Immediately he charged at it, inciting the battle into play. "A metal slime draws near!" appeared on the top screen as the battle started to commence.

Mike immediately organized his party to play out certain commands. The main character, a Minstrel named Wilrick, would perform a Hypnowhip attack in the hopes it would cause the slime to get confused and be unable to flee. The second character, a Mage named Tori, would simply do a normal attack, as Metal Slimes were virtually immune to spells. The third character, a Warrior named Lydia, would enact a Metal Slash attack, as that attack in particular worked wonders on metallic enemies. And finally, a Priest named Priscel would lead off with a Mercurial Thrust; an attack that was guaranteed to go first, no matter what.

The battle began as Priscel struck out first, doing one point of damage. Wilrick went second, lashing his whip and also hitting for one damage, but failing to confuse the enemy this go around. Hopefully one more strike was all that was needed, as Metal Slimes had anywhere between three to five health. Tori jumped forward and smashed her wand into the slime, doing one point of damage as well but failing to kill the slime. Well, at least all of the attacks had landed so far; maybe the Metal Slash would be enough to KO it.

However, before Lydia could even perform her attack, the Metal Slime ran away; fading away into the background. Mike swore to himself, angry at the rather shit luck he just experienced. Damn, he was so close, but once again the fact that Warriors were so damn slow made another one get away.

"Mister Schmidt?" a lady called out from the other side of the room. Looking up, he saw his psychiatrist, Dr. Yolanda, standing by the doorway that lead to the offices within. Realizing now that it was time for his appointment, he closed up the 3DS and put it into his pocket, standing up and walking to the doctor.

"Oh, uh, sorry. Was a bit too into my game, didn't hear you open up," Mike rubbed the back of his head, feeling a tad embarrassed for not paying attention once again.

Dr. Yolanda gave a small smile, shaking her head and gesturing for him to follow her. "It's fine Michael, was running late anyway. Come on back now."

Mike nodded as he followed the doctor to her office. The building was currently being remodeled, so tarps and bits of wood were all about the place. However, they had yet to reach Yolanda's office, so their appointment wouldn't be bothered by relocation.

After a few seconds of walking, the two finally entered the office. Dr. Yolanda walked herself behind her desk, and sat herself down in her chair. Mike moved over to the chair in front of the desk, scooting it back a little before sitting down himself.

"So, how have you been Michael?" Yolanda started, moving some papers to the side.

"Ah, been doing pretty alright I guess. I'm alive, at least," Mike crossed his legs as he got himself more comfortable.

Yolanda nodded as she took out a clean piece of paper, clicking her pen to begin writing. "Alright, let's get to it then. Last time we visited, I started you up on Xanax to take when you thought it was necessary. Has it helped to decrease your anxiety once you've taken it?"

"Uh, I… don't really know? I mean, I guess? I'm… I'm really bad at figuring out when medicine is working or not, and honestly I'm having a bad time debating with myself whether I should take it or not. I just can't ever decide when I feel bad enough to warrent it, I've only taken it once this month and even then that was after debating for about half an hour."

"I understand, guess it is better that you're a bit hesitant and not just becoming reliant on it. How have you felt the few times you have taken it?"

"Well… I guess I feel pretty relaxed. Usually fall asleep after an hour, really gets me tired in no time; I'm a little afraid to take it before I head to bed because of it. But uh, I… I suppose it's working? Don't exactly feel worse after I take it, anyway," Mike shrugged, unsure of his answer.

"Like I said in our last session, drowsiness is one of the main side effects. But like I also said, it's best to take whenever you're having a panic attack; so even if it's in the middle of day, if you're experiencing one and you don't think you can handle it, it wouldn't hurt to pop one of them down."

"Even though it literally makes me pass out?" Mike raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, even though it makes you tired. I would like for you to one day fix your sleep schedule, since I do think it would be better for you to be active during the day again, but right now let's just focus on one step at a time. Unless you're actually working on it right now?"

"Uh, no, not really. But I do have something I'm working on now; finally got a job again on the night shift. Temporary, but hey, it's something."

Yolanda smiled brightly, jotting down the little note on the paper, "Well that's great Michael! Always good to hear you improving like that! Mind if I ask where it is?"

"Oh, uh, it's at that Fazbear pizza place. Ya know, the one with the animatronics? I look over the shop at night to make sure no one breaks in and messes with the equipment."

"Oh yeah, I heard about that place before. Never went since it seems more like a kiddie place than an actual restaurant. Heard it's got quite a reputation too, pretty amazed it's lasted as long as it did. So you'll be working there until it closes up for good?"

"Uh, either that or til I'm able to find a better paying job. Knowing my luck though, I'm probably not even going to last that long, bleh. I'm still honestly shocked I got hired in the first place, I thought for sure I flubbed up the meeting," Mike played with the little dipping bird ornament that laid on the desk, bobbing it in place. He usually had to find some way to keep his hands occupied, or else he'd just feel too antsy.

"Well Michael, you should take this as a way of being more confident in your abilities! See, things don't always have to go bad for the sake of being bad!" Yolanda finished writing on the paper for the time being, looking back up. "Anything else improved, like your mood?"

"Uh, I… sorta? I kinda feel all empty still, and it's still really hard for me to talk to others without them coming to me first. But I'm sorta talking to someone new, though I'm worried I'm not gonna last much longer. Uh, well, I guess I don't exactly feel like everything is going wrong, but I do sorta feel like… like nothing's really going right either."

Yolanda nodded again as she continued her writing. "So your mood's still in a rather stagnant position, you would say? No real improvements?"

"Ah, not really I guess. Like it's a lot better than it's been in the past, but I'm not exactly in the position I really want to be in now."

Yolanda looked back up, giving a sympathetic look. "I see. Well, since your mood's been in a bad spot for a while now, I think now would be a good time to prescribe some sort of antidepressant; was wanting to wait and see before I made a conclusion, and now seems like a good call for it. Have you ever heard of Zoloft?"

"Uh, I… no? Sorta sounds familiar, but I don't think it's anything I've ever taken before. I… I did take some sort of antidepressant before, but I have no idea what the name of it was."

"Oh? Why did the doctor you see before me stop prescribing it then? Worry of addiction?"

"No no, nothing like that, I sorta… I stopped taking it, is all. Didn't think I needed it anymore, didn't feel all depressed so thought it was pointless," Michael gave a sort of lie, as while that was part of the reason he stopped, there was another factor that ultimately played a bigger role in it; one that he didn't care to bring up.

Yolanda frowned at that, writing down some more notes. "Michael, if you didn't feel depressed, that was probably a good sign that the medicine was working. A lot of patients think they're able to just stop taking the medicine, but pretty much all of the time it's actually the medicine that's been improving their state of mind. How long ago was this?"

"Uh… few months ago? Back when I saw Dr. Ramirez instead, so it was before I started seeing you. I don't know the exacts, I'm sorry."

"It's fine, fine. So would you say your mood's been decreasing ever since you've stopped taking the medicine then?"

"Ah, yeah, I… yeah, I think so. It certainly doesn't feel like it's gotten better. Maybe… probably was a bad call on my part, I'm really sorry."

Yolanda shook her head as she continued to jot down her notes. "Well, this makes me more comfortable in prescribing this then; knowing you've actually taken antidepressants before and it seemed to give positive results. Anyway, I'm going to prescribe you a starting dose of 25 milligrams a day for one week. Once that week is up, I would like for you to start taking two pills a day, so as to make it 50 milligrams. Should be taken first thing when you wake up, and while it's not necessary, I would advise to get something in your stomach before you take it. Alright?"

"Uh… sure," Mike felt nervous now; he didn't think he'd have to go back on more medications, and he wasn't entirely sure how he felt about the idea. But he didn't exactly want to argue with his doctor either.

"I'll order it in within the hour, so try to pick it up today and start on it tomorrow. Try to take it the same time every day, that'll be the most effective," Yolanda sat her pen down as she finished her first set of notes. "Alright, is that everything you wanted covered today?"

"Actually… got one more thing I wanted to ask, if it's alright?"

"Of course Michael, what is it?"

"Uh, how do you know when medicine stops working? I sorta… I've been having more hallucinations again, even after I take my medicine for it, and some of them are… pretty bad."

Yolanda frowned, taking out a new sheet of paper and picking up her pen again, "How frequently have they been happening, and how bad would you say they are?"

"Well uh. First one happened on Tuesday, it was a noise at first but then it was visual stuff. Made my head hurt for a few hours after the fact, was probably the worst I experienced out of the bunch. Second was just another visual one, scared me at first but ultimately nothing much came out of it; I'd say it was possibly the tamest one. And the third was a whole combo of auditory, visual and… physical I guess? It sorta felt like something pushed against me, though absolutely nothing was in front of me. Can hallucinations even do that?"

"Hmm, I would say those are extremely rare, but it's not exactly out of the question. When have these all happened, if you can recall?"

"Ah, they all happened at work. First day was sorta fine, then afterwards every day since I've had a hallucination of some sort. Don't seem to have any once I get home, so I dunno. Can work influence stuff like that?"

"Stress from it could definitely being playing a part in it, especially since this is the first job you've had in a while. I'm a bit nervous to just up your Invega dosage, but if you start to experience worse hallucinations, I'd say take a second pill later in the day just to make sure. If the hallucinations become consistent, then I'd say it would be alright to just take two altogether. After a few months, we'll lower it back down to see how you react then. Alright?"

Mike nodded, tipping his chair back by pressing his foot against the desk.

Yolanda finished up her notes, placing her pen down once again and putting the papers together. "Alright, that should cover us for today. If you think you're starting to experience bad side effects from either the Zoloft or the increased dosage of Invega, give us a call and I'll try to schedule you again as soon as possible. If not, I think it would be good to see you again in a month just to check and see how you're progressing on it; see if we have to adjust dosages, or try out new medicines entirely. Sound good to you?"

"Uh, yeah, sure. One month then?" Mike steadied the chair back to the ground.

"Yes, one month or sooner if you feel it's best. I really hope this helps you Michael, I may not have seen you very long, but what I do know is you're a man with a lot of life left to him. So however way I can improve it, I'm more than happy to help."

Mike nodded, getting out of the chair now. "So I can go now?"

"Yes you can, our session is over. Try to keep up with the Zoloft, that's the one I want to monitor the most. Remember, one pill for a week, then afterwards go up to two."

"Alright doc, will do. Uh, thanks then," Mike started for the door.

"Anytime Michael, see you soon!" Yolanda put the notes aside for now as she prepared her desk for the next client.

—

Mike stumbled towards the office, keeping his phone out in front as a sort of weak guide light. He had completely forgotten about replacing the missing flashlight battery once he got home, and the thought didn't occur to him until he was already halfway to work. Once he realized his mistake, he had set his phone to play a reminder at seven o'clock to fix up the flashlight, in case he forgot again.

After a few trips and tumbles to the wall, Mike finally managed his way into the office, flicking on the light and sitting himself in the chair. He gave a look to his phone to check the time, seeing that it was 11:57. Once that was done, he pressed the button on the top of the phone to turn the screen off, then slipped it into his pocket.

He wouldn't have the guidance of the phone guy signifying the start of the game this go around, he assumed. So he would have to pay closer attention to when the clock rolled over the 12, and not just rely on hearing that phone ring. He could've set an alarm to go off on his phone once it came to be 12, but he worried at the idea that the hassle of messing with his phone would cost him precious seconds of surveying the pizzeria. So he would simply have to keep an eye on the clock, watch as it ticked on by until it approached game time.

Mike turned the fan on the desk, not paying much attention to the mess that was in front of it and causing some papers to get blown off. Mike swore to himself, scooting himself back so he could gather up the runaway papers. They all seemed to have been kid's drawings of the place, possibly given to whoever used this office during the day.

The first drawing was of the main three, together on the stage with a crowd of kids at the bottom of the page. The second was of Chica and her cupcake eating a slice of pizza. The third was of Bonnie rocking on their guitar, with one kid looking very excited next to them. Mike couldn't help but smile at the little creative drawings; seems like even with all that the place has gone through, the kids were still more than happy with their visits.

Mike picked up the final paper on the ground; it was yellowed and stained, like someone had spilled something or placed their cup on it. The picture was fairly ruined as a result, but he could make out two red blobs on the paper. Was this supposed to be Foxy? He wasn't entirely sure what the picture was supposed to be of, as it was smeared too badly to tell what it was trying to portray.

He stared at the picture for a while, just trying to see if he could figure out the mystery of the faded drawing. He didn't realize how long he had stared at it, until he suddenly heard the phone begin to ring again. Mike jumped hard, looking up from his examination to now stare at the phone. What on earth, that couldn't possibly be the phone guy again, could it? From the way it sounded, he didn't have any opportunity to record a final message, yet here the phone was ringing again.

Setting the papers back onto the desk, Mike picked the phone up and placed it to his ear. With a bit of hesitance, he answered with a "Hello?"

Mike flinched badly as static immediately played on the phone, followed by a deep, garbled voice. Mike's eye went wide in horror, hearing how it got progressively faster and harsher, louder and violent. Raspy screams began to play out, echoing throughout his head and making him shake violently in response. He pulled the phone away from his ear, but it did no good; the harsh voices still sounded loud and clear, making his heart race.

He rapidly dropped the phone as his head began to pound, the voices getting louder and louder. He couldn't make out a damn word of what was being said; it felt too distorted, too inhuman. A second scream came out, sounding higher in pitch but even rougher than the first. It then rapidly switched from one scream to the other, making a complete mess out of his head.

The noises was suddenly accompanied by new noises; harsh banging to both of his sides. Looking towards the windows to where the new sound was coming from, he felt his heart drop dead to his stomach when he saw the apparitions once again; pounding on the windows as if wanting to get in, despite the doors being wide open. Mike quickly tried to close the doors, but found that the buttons simply wouldn't work; they would make a clicking noise, but the doors remained up in place.

Mike could feel his throat close up as some of apparitions began to fill into the room, the screaming and garbling getting so loud he couldn't even hear himself breathe. He could feel the beings grab at him, taking his arms and trying to pull him out of the chair, while some smaller versions grabbed at his legs. Mike was completely horrified now, feeling the cold hands that seemed pressed against his skin, and his head absolutely pounding from the continued mess that came from the phone so crystal clearly.

Mike broke his arms out from their grasp temporarily, putting his hands to his ears in a vain attempt to stop the horrible noises; the harsh mutterings that only served to make his blood chill, the alternating screaming which made his head ache, the breathy moans from the apparitions that made his skin crawl. It did no good, as he could still hear it loud and clear, as if it wasn't impeded at all.

He started to curl in on himself, trying to wiggle out of the cold, unforgiving grasps that now covered his entire body. His breath came out in rapid bursts, his entire being shaking in both fear and coldness, his head feeling like a distorted mess. At this point, he couldn't only do the one thing he felt capable of doing.

He screamed, loud and hard, tearing his throat apart as it echoed out throughout the pizzeria.

—

Foxy tapped his hook against his leg, simply waiting now as the game began to commence. He decided to himself he'd wait three minutes this time, then he would look out and would progress further every twelve minutes the lad didn't check. Give it just a bit of a challenge, not too much of one since this was the end of his first week. Presumably, anyway; he wasn't sure if they had hired a separate weekend guard yet or not, as Freddy was the one who kept track of that.

Well, if he did stick around, that just meant more chances for visits. He really did find the man to be absolutely pleasing to talk to; there was just something about how he reacted to every little instance he brought up about being an android that made him excited. Seeing someone be so interested for once and not just be dead silent, someone being open and friendly even when they were no doubt terrified beyond belief. It made him rather giddy, made him feel important again after feeling so insignificant for so long.

Foxy was startled out of his thoughts when he heard a harsh scream coming from the other side of the pizzeria, where Mike would be situated. His mood instantly sunk when he realized what that must've meant; that he got caught already, that there wasn't going to _be_ any more visits. Peaking out of his curtain, Foxy looked over at the stage to see which one of them grabbed him.

To his shock, he saw that all three of them were still present. Bonnie was looking around as if confused, but otherwise not one of them had moved an inch. Foxy followed suit in feeling befuddled; if none of them were even active yet, why was the lad screaming so badly? Was there possibly someone else in the pizzeria? Surely not, he would've sensed an intruding presence by now!

Completely curious as to what's gotten Mike so startled, Foxy decided that perhaps today would be a good day to do an immediately visit. Going back behind the curtain, he began to demerge from the suit; starting with his legs, then progressing to his upper body and arms, and finally finishing with his head. Once he was sorted outside of the animatronic's body, he gently laid it to the side of his stage so it wouldn't fall over. He then opened up his curtain, spreading it out as wide as it would go so as to signify that he was out.

Once that was all situated, Foxy went on towards the office at a rather hurried pace. The screaming had gotten quieter as it went on, but the fact that it was so constant honestly worried him. The farther he went on, the more he could make out; soft sobbing in between the screams, the cracking of the voice from the excessiveness of it all. It was a sound that he was familiar with, but something about it sparked an even deeper sadness in him than usual.

When Foxy made it to the door, he stood by the doorway to see the man curled up in his chair, backed into the right corner of the room and shaking horribly. His legs were raised up to be in the chair, and his head was in between his knees. His hands were still pressed firmly to his ears, in a vain attempt to try and silence the horrible noises that just wouldn't seem to stop.

"Lad?" Foxy started, tapping his hand against the wall in a vain attempt get his attention. It did no good, as Mike kept continuing with his harsh screaming and choked sobbing. Foxy frowned deeply, completely concerned at the state the man was in. He slowly walked into the room, careful with his approach.

Once Foxy stepped into the room, the cold grasps on Mike's body gradually disappeared, and the mutterings began to quiet down until it was nothing more than murmurs. Letting out light gasps at just how ragged his throat felt, he felt his body gradually relax itself once the intruding forces seemed to have dissipated.

"Lad, hey, are ye okay?" Mike could hear out now. In his petrified state, he couldn't even recognize who was even talking to him; he just knew he could hear words, and at this point he didn't even know if they were real or not.

Letting out more sobs, Mike shakily raised his head back up to see the pirate standing in front of him, bending his knees so as to not be so imposing. Or at least, that's what he should've seen, but instead his eyes saw the ruined fox animatronic; its jaw hanging low and its face completely bloodied, with little bits of pink stuff stuck on the teeth. Mike could feel renewed horror at what he saw, his eyes wide and his mouth quivering.

Foxy's look became even more concerned as he saw the man's face morph from confused relief to absolute mortification. He reached his hand out, keeping his stance steady but soft. "Mike? What's wrong mat-"

Mike retaliated hard as he thought the animatronic was reaching out for him. Giving out one last harsh scream, he kicked at the man _hard_, dead in the stomach as some form of defense. This caused the pirate's words to be cut short as he was sent backwards, losing his balance as a result and falling promptly on his ass, hitting the back of his head against the corner of the desk.

Foxy let out a pained grunt; while it wasn't as painful as a human would've felt in a similar situation, it was still an unpleasant sensation. His head felt like it was vibrating lightly, and if he had proper lungs he was pretty sure that kick would've knocked the air right out of him. He rubbed the back of his head, feeling as a small knot began to form in his synth skin.

Once that was all said and done, Mike's vision suddenly turned back to normal, making him see the man now sitting on the floor. Confused at first, when it finally occurred to him what had just happened, he swore out with raspy breath and got out of his chair.

"O-Oh sh-" Mike coughed hard at his ravaged throat, hardly able to speak as it ached so badly. "S-*cough*shit man, *cough* so-so-*cough*sorry, I'm so so-sorr*cough*-ry, f-fu*cough*uck," he wheezed as he barely managed to say even that much, coughing in between nearly every word. He tried to squat himself down, but couldn't keep steady due to his hawking, causing him to join the pirate in sitting on the floor.

Foxy looked back over the man, putting his hand down from his head. He didn't look mad in the slightest, and in fact looked sympathetic. He couldn't help but flinch every time the man hacked so harshly, sounding like it was coming deep from his lungs. "Ye need some water lad?"

Unable to answer due to his constant wheezing, Mike simply nodded his head as he gripped at his throat. On one hand that felt like too nice of a thing for what he just did to the android; he should've been scolded, been told he overreacted. But on the other hand he was pretty sure his throat was bleeding from all of this, so the water would be a welcomed relief.

Foxy pushed himself off the floor, straightening out his slightly hitched shirt. He offered a hand to Mike to help him up as well, but the man was having such a fit with his coughing that he didn't even notice. Foxy frowned, squatting himself down again so as to speak to the man without raising his voice. "Ye seem ta be havin' some trouble. Mind if I pick ye up? Promise I'll be gentle."

Mike hocked out a loogie that formed in his throat, keeping his mouth closed so that he wouldn't sputter it out. He shook his head, confirming he didn't care what the pirate did. He just knew he wanted something to calm his throbbing throat, so the faster he got that, the better.

Foxy put his left arm underneath the security guard's legs, then placed his hook to his back as he hoisted him up. With a bit of maneuvering, he returned the man to the seat, being as careful as he could so as to not disturb him much. Once he was situated back in place, Foxy nodded his head, "I'll be back soon, keep safe lad."

Mike nodded back himself, watching as the man walked out of the room. He reached for his bag to take out a tissue, swishing around the bit of mucus in his mouth as he did so. Once he pulled one out, he expelled the foreign fluid into the paper, and looked into it. It was specked with blood, but thankfully it wasn't much; just a streak of bright red color in the clear gunk. He folded up the napkin and gave it a toss to the trash.

Meanwhile, Foxy continued his trek to the kitchen. Walking into the dining area, he quickly took a look to the stage to see the three still present on it. He hummed to himself, glad that Bonnie and Chica decided that it was best if they stayed in place. Then again, neither of them really tried to do anything once they realized Foxy was having a visit; it was Freddy that you had to be worried about, but as long as at least one of the other two were on the stage, Freddy wouldn't budge an inch.

Foxy trotted himself into the kitchen, going over to the large refrigerator at the other side of the room. He tugged at the handle, which was met with one of those random instances of resistance. Grunting out slightly, he released the handle, then tried it again, this time succeeding in opening the door. With that, he scanned the fridge for an unopened bottle of water, which was surprisingly hard to locate this go around; usually the employees were good at taking home the bottles they used, but today seemed like an exception.

After a bit of rearranging stuff, he finally found a full bottle hiding behind some flour. Taking it out, he broke the seal of the lid so the man would be able to drink it as soon as he gave it to him, then screwed it back in place; closing the door with his foot and giving it a press to make sure it was properly sealed before he left.

A few more moments of walking back to the office, Foxy popped back into view from the right side. Mike looked significantly calmer now, and wasn't coughing quite as intensely as he was before; but his eyes still looked rather stressed, and the pirate could see his breathing was rather pained. He held out the bottle towards the man, making sure to keep a fair enough distance in case he wasn't quite recovered yet. "Sorry it took so long, was surprisingly hard ta find an unopened one this go 'round."

Mike shook his head, taking the bottle from the android and quickly unscrewing the lid. Once it was off, Mike chugged the water down in big gulps, not stopping until it was a little under half full. When he finally felt his throat relax some, he took the bottle off of his lips, sighing out in relief. "Aah, holy shit, d-definitely needed that. Thanks," Mike responded, his voice still rather gaspy, but otherwise he wasn't coughing after every word.

Foxy nodded, smiling slightly in response. "Feelin' better now?"

"A-Ah, yeah. Throat… ahem, throat's pretty fucked, but that's my own fault. Uh, are you okay though? It-It looked like I hurt ya pretty badly…" Mike gave a nervous look, gripping the water fairly tightly in his hands.

Foxy gave a chuckle, then shook his head. "Nay, I'm fine. Caught me off guard is all. Got quick a kick, don't ye?"

"B-but your head…?" Mike inquired, hoping that he didn't cause any severe damage. Were robots capable of having concussions?

"Got nicked a lil, but it's fine. Takes a lot ta get this cap'n in a mess, an' no offense ta ye lad, but ye really don't have tha strength ta do that kinda damage ta me. Ye have ta be at least 300 pounds o' pure muscle ta do anythin' worryin'."

"Well, t-that's good… Uh, I'm… I'm really sorry I just d-did what I did, I just…" Mike cut himself short, sighing out in nervousness. He was amazed the man was still being as friendly as he was, especially since he must've looked like a complete mess for acting like he did. He always felt ashamed of himself when hallucinations scared him so badly like that, getting literally terrified at nothing but random shit your brain made.

"Ye were in a bad spot, can understand that I must've startled ye somethin' awful. Really didn't mean ta, I should be tha one apologizing; should've took warnin' signs when ye didn't look so happy ta see me, should've known ta give ye some space," Foxy gave a gentle look to the man as he continued. "What 'bout ye, lad? Are ye okay? What got ye so badly frightened?"

Mike was deathly quiet at the question, not really sure how to react. He always felt scared of telling people about his disorder; so many times they seemed to see him as lesser, as crazy. If he had an episode, people would get fearful or disgusted, look at him as if he should be locked away. Ronnie was pretty much the only one who always tried to be supportive, and his friends were very hit-and-miss. They still were nice to him, at least, but he pretty much always had to make sure to go against what his brain was telling him to do when he experienced them around them; to just quietly freak out and not bother them.

However, the pirate was being so kind towards him, not even trying to demean him. He hadn't even known him for a week, yet here he was treating him better than most of his long-time friends. Would it be a good idea to just tell him about it then; to not make excuses to try and seem normal? He certainly knew he couldn't really just say he got startled again, how he reacted was far beyond any typical reaction one would have.

"Uh, uh I'm… sorta nervous to say. Uh, can you… promise not to call me crazy if I tell ya? I really… _really_ don't like when people call me that," Mike spoke out nervously, giving the pirate a sheepish look. He expected the worst to happen now that he so much as asked that, and braced himself as a result.

"Why would I call ye crazy?" was all Foxy responded with.

Mike was caught off guard at that response; it certainly wasn't what he expected to hear. He thought at best the android would say "Well that'll be hard, but I'll try not ta," but instead he responded as if it hadn't even passed him as a thought. "… Ah, well, I… I acted really bizarrely, f-for what seemed like no reason. People… other people always think I'm crazy for it, even if they kn-know why I sometimes do it. I… that doesn't seem crazy to you?"

Foxy shrugged. "People do all sorts o' things, who am I ta judge 'em fer it? Sure, I'm a lil confused as ta why ye screamed like ye did, but I know ye gotta have a reason fer it; and whatever reason that is, I won't just disregard it. I'd understand though if it's a bit o' a sensitive subject, I just want ta know if there's any way I could help ye feel better."

Mike swallowed hard, he _really_ wasn't expecting that. He took in a deep breath and started, "Well… it really wouldn't hurt if I told ya. In fact it… might be more relieving to not just hide it. Like that other day, right? Where ya said you felt better for talking about the stuff you dealt with?"

Foxy nodded and hummed in response, staying quiet so as to not interrupt the lad.

"Well, I… I've sorta lied to you a couple of days now. Not really major lies, but just… lies because I'm so damn scared to just say it out loud; to be judged again for something I can't control. Like yesterday, where I said I just tripped, that was… wasn't really the truth. Uh, and the other day with the yellow suit, I mean it sorta was the truth, but the situation I saw it in really wasn't. I just…" Mike sighed out, realizing he was dancing around the explanation like an asshole.

"Sorry, sorry, sorta went off topic. Anyway, I… well I…" He took in another breath to steady his nervousness, staring at the man now instead of just being lost in his thoughts. Foxy merely gave him a compassionate look, not looking angry or upset in the slightest. This helped him feel calmer as he continued on. "I… see things that aren't really there. Hear things that no one else can, feel things that don't even exist, I… I have hallucinations, and for a few days now I've been having them _constantly_."

Mike's eyes wandered off a moment, making him realize the phone was still dangling off the desk by the wire. Foxy followed Mike's stare and finally noticed the droning phone hanging beside him. He pulled up the wire until the phone was up to where he could reach it, then hung it back onto the hook. He then looked back at Mike and waited to see if he had anything more to say.

"Oh, uh… Sorry about that, sorta forgot it. Which is bad, this whole deal started cause of that phone, and I just promptly forgot it even existed, heh…"

Foxy shook his head, showing his didn't mind the little extra work.

"Ahem, ah, well… Today I thought I heard the phone ring again. No idea if it actually did or that was a hallucination in of itself. When I answered it… I had a really, _really_ bad sound hallucination, probably one of the worst I've experienced in a long time. It was so loud, so overpowering, I could practically feel my head vibrate even when the phone wasn't next to my ear. On its own I probably wouldn't have freaked out as badly as I did, but then… more happened."

Mike rubbed at his arm and looked away now, not really wanting to make eye contact as he explained. He didn't want to see if the man's expression changed as he talked, but he didn't want to just stop now; not since he's gotten so far. "I heard more noises, and the next thing I knew I was… surrounded. There were these ghosts all around me, coming into the room, grabbing at me and trying to pull me apart it felt like. The grabbing… that's what really got to me, I just… I felt so _cold_, so scared; my heart literally felt like it was going to just give out from fright."

Mike's thoughts suddenly went off topic as he just remembered something; the fact the doors didn't seem to work during the whole ordeal. Giving a look to the left door button, he pressed it, expecting to hear that clicking sound again. To his shock, the door came down loudly, making him jump in response. Foxy looked confused at what the lad was doing, but ultimately didn't question it.

With that, Mike pressed the button again so that it would go back up. "S-Sorry 'bout that, just wanted to check something. Uh, where was I again?"

"Ye said somethin' 'bout ghosts an' bein' grabbed?" Foxy responded, not even sounding skeptical about what he just said.

Mike was instantly brought back to his train of thoughts then. With that, he felt a shiver go down his spine, remembering the cold grasps that pressed to his flesh, completely ignoring the fabric of his clothing. "Oh, uh, right. Uh… the next thing I knew, I was just screaming. I just wanted it to stop, but I couldn't even move, I couldn't do anything but scream and scream. It… it lasted so long, I thought for sure I was going to die. But then it slowly faded away, like a bad itch or something, and everything got peaceful again. I felt like I could think again."

Mike unscrewed the lid of the water bottle as he took another chug, his throat beginning to feel dry from the long bouts of talking. Once it felt properly wet enough again, he closed it up and continued. "That's when I heard you, I guess. I wasn't too sure, to me it just felt like more noise, maybe even another hallucination. When I looked up, I got… a really unpleasant surprise. It looked like you in your suit, but all… bloodied, all messed up."

He fidgeted in his seat, resisting the urge to look at the pirate; to see if it looked like he was judging him, to see if his once gentle look was now full of disgust. "It… it really wasn't something I needed to see, not after all that shit just happened. As a result I just… kicked out. I could actually move this time, so my body instantly went into fight mode. I'm… I'm glad I didn't go much further though, once you fell to the ground my vision went back to normal and… well, I felt shitty. So damn shitty, I really can't apologize enough for how I acted."

With a final sigh, Mike finished up the explanation. "So, that's why… that's why I screamed. Literally over nothing, just my brain being a fucking mess again. I'm really sorry, really sorry to have bothered you like I did, really sorry for no doubt freaking you out."

Foxy got up from off the desk, walking towards the man and squatting down to meet his eyes. When he did, Mike looked away in embarrassment, not even giving a chance to see what the pirate looked like. Foxy frowned at that, placing his hand on his shoulder as a gesture of goodwill. "Mike, lad, look at me please."

With a bit of hesitance, Mike turned his head back around to stare into the android's eyes. When he did, he felt his heart pick up in pace at just how sweet of a look the eyes held; not looking disgusted or horrified or any sort of negative thing like that. Just looking compassionate, concerned, so kind.

Once his eyes were properly locked back onto his, Foxy continued on. "Ye don't have ta apologize, ye did nothing wrong. Ye thought ye were in danger, and ye reacted in a way probably everyone would've. Just because I didn't see it, doesn't make it any less real ta ye."

Foxy gave a small smile as he gently squeezed the man's shoulder. "Hell, I don't blame ye one bit; that sounded really scary matey, somethin' no one should have ta go through. But ye do, an' ye did, an' fer that, that truly shows how strong ye are. Ye deal with stuff some o' us never even have ta think about, an' while it may get ye on edge at first, ye ultimately power through it an' continue yer life. That's somethin' ta be admired fer! Fer how ye can power through yer fears no matter how bad it gets!"

Mike's mouth was slightly agape at the pirate's reaction; never had he seen anyone outside of his own brother be as supportive of him like the android was right now. Blinking just to make sure he was still in fact in reality, he spoke up. "So… you're not mad?"

"O' course not, nothin' ta be mad at ye 'bout! Like ye said, ye can't help tha fact yer brain does this, ta ye this is just like havin' a bad sneeze or somethin'! It's somethin' that happens randomly, somethin' ye can't control! Why should I be mad at ye fer just bein' ye, eh?"

Mike's eyes were wide in shock, an absolutely warm feeling spreading through his body again just like the night before. Except this time it was more intense, going all throughout him to make him feel all cozy and happy. He could feel tears come to his eyes and his mouth shaped into a large smile. Without giving a thought, he hugged the android tightly, having the positive feelings control his actions instead of his consciousness.

Foxy was a bit shocked at the sudden reaction, but quickly smiled and hugged the man back. It had been a long time since he'd been hugged like this; the last time was back when he used to be part of the show, when the kids would beg him for hugs after he finished up. It was a welcomed feeling, one he hadn't felt in a long time, and one that he still enjoyed even now. He gently rubbed the man's back in response, patting it lightly in a soothing gesture.

After minutes of just being in the embrace, Mike finally snapped back into his thoughts and realized what he just did. Blushing out in embarrassment, he let go of the man and stuttered out, "O-Oh, uh, I-I'm sorry, I wasn't… th-thinking, that was rude of me."

Foxy let out a laugh, shaking his head. "It's fine lad, nothin' rude 'bout a hug! Have ta be a rather heartless man ta be angry at that, wouldn't I?" He tapped the man's back once last time before he returned his hand to his leg. "Anyway, now I know a bit more 'bout ye now, don't I? Makes us even in tha secrets, eh? Ye know I'm a robot, an' I know ye experience stuff others don't! Now we know each other better than before, right?"

Mike sniffed as he rubbed his eyes, his smile going smaller but still vibrant in its excitement. "Y-Yeah, I g-guess we do, don't we? Not so much strangers now, huh?"

"Nope, not a bit! We be proper friends, through an' through! An' we'll be learnin' more 'bout each other as tha nights go on, won't we? Certainly not strangers now!"

Mike beamed again and nodded excitedly, his eyes glowing at just how happy he felt right now. He had to resist the urge to hug the pirate again; he just felt so giddy, it was incredible! He was in such a good mood that he couldn't help but let out a giggle, feeling like his entire body was brimming with positivity.

Foxy let out a laugh as he stood himself up, still staring into the man's eyes. "Well, sorry ta be a bit o' a kill joy, but me time here's just 'bout up. Ah, I suppose I'll be seein' ye again on Monday?"

Mike felt his happiness die down slightly as he contemplated that. Well, he definitely wasn't hired to work over the weekends, so there was no reason he would come to work as usual. Except he knew he didn't really have anything else to do around his house, and hell, some extra pay sounded mighty fine right about now. "Actually… I think I may do some overtime. Sorta need the money, ya know? Besides, gotta see just how tough the weekend is! See if you guys really do pick it up, or if you're just being braggy, haha!"

Foxy laughed out, feeling happy to know he was going to see the lad again tomorrow. The positivity the man exuded was absolutely addictive, making his own circuits feel charged with delight. "Well, that's great ta hear! Lookin' forward ta seein' ya then, lad! Keep up tha good mood, it's wonderful seein' ye so passionate like this!"

He turned himself around and grabbed the tablet off the desk, handing it to the man so he'd be ready as soon as he left. As he did this, a thought suddenly came to his head that made him rather excited; he wasn't entirely sure that he would able to get this to happen, but damn he wanted to try at least. The gaiety he was feeling was just so overpowering, he truly wanted to see it come to fruition.

"Ah, before I leave matey, I got a bit o' a weird question fer ye. Do ye have any kinda favorite pizza? Like anything outside of pepperoni?"

"Oh, uh, yeah! I really like Hawaiian pizza with bacon and banana peppers added on it, that's probably my favorite kind. Why ya want to know?"

"Just somethin' I was curious 'bout. Had pizza on me brain 'gain an' thought it wouldn't hurt ta ask. Got quite a unique taste, don't ye?" Foxy gave one last chuckle before he went to the door.

"Haha, yeah, so much so my brother thinks it's the nastiest thing in the world. Ah well, his loss!" Mike rested the tablet in his lap, tracing circles on the top of the screen. "What about you Captain? What tickles your fancy?"

"Ah, I'm an anchovy lover meself. Sorta have ta have tha heads cut off though, otherwise I have a _lot_ o' trouble gettin' meself ta take a bite. Somethin' 'bout tha eyes just makes me go eeeeugh," he gave a captain's salute before he bid the man farewell. "Well, be seein' ye tomorrow lad! Remember, check Pirate Cove!"

"See ya then Captain!" Mike called back, watching as he walked down into the hallway. Even though he felt sad that the visit seemed to have gone by so quickly this time, his mood was still absolutely elated. He definitely knew he didn't want to just wait until Monday to see the pirate again, so he guessed to himself that he'd give his boss a call to tell him he'd like to do the weekend this go around. He wasn't sure that he'd want to do it every weekend, but this weekend at the very least he wouldn't mind.

Mike turned on the tablet as he prepared himself for tonight's challenges, humming a happy tune to himself as he did so.


	6. Pizza Date

**And now for the final planned out chapter for the beginning. Now it's gonna be me trying to figure out what sequence of events for the future chapters, and let me tell you this has been oddly difficult to think out. Like I know I want to do at least one chapter per day with this first week, but I simply don't know what to write for the seventh chapter and it's bugging the hell out of me, bleh.**

**Sorta been interested in some other things and haven't really been thinking much about the story. Been playing Flight Rising to try and get the new Nocturne dragon, and managed to get one on Christmas Eve (Actually got two eggs but I sold the other one, eheh.) That and another ship's sorta taken over my life unexpectedly, like I saw a grand total of one picture for it and my brain went "YES. VERY MUCH LIKE." I don't think I'll really do anything with it, but it's fun to imagine stuff with it.**

**I just love dorky ass ships so much and I found another one that hit those buttons and god damn I'm a mess. Hopefully this won't impede the story much, but who knows, my focus is very hit and miss with stuff like this. That and I simply don't know when I'll be able to update, like I said trying to come up with a seventh chapter is just. Bleh. I've got ideas but I don't know which one to use it's pissing me off.**

**Well, in any case, here we go, chapter 6! To note, I have no idea how managing a restaurant would work, so I'm really sorry if it's really painful/wrong how I wrote it. Trying to google it just brought up a lot of different results that didn't tell me what I wanted to know, welp.**

**Warning(s): Casually Ableist Language [Section(s) One, Seven and Eight]**

* * *

><p>The shuffling of papers was all that was heard in the small office, separating the important paperwork and the children's art that had accumulated over the years. Bits of information about the week's profits, what ingredients were all used, and the customer satisfaction at the end of it all adorned the paper, while off to the side two new drawings were added to the pile. So far it seemed like the week had gone off with little problems; while there were a couple of complaints over doughy pizza—no doubt caused with the new chef that was barely in the 12th grade—nothing drastic seemed to have occurred to warrant worry.<p>

Freddy wrote down on a blank paper little reminders of what had to be done over the next few days. Ordering more ingredients that were starting to get low, monitor for possible mice instances in the kitchen, more cleaning supplies to handle the messes the kids made. Typical stuff that had to be done at the end of each week, to make sure the final days of the pizzeria were spent without a hitch.

As he continued writing the ever growing list, Freddy's attention was drawn away from his work by a tapping noise coming from his right. Looking over to the distraction, he was met by the tanned pirate standing in the doorway. His look was rather disheveled, with his red hair all matted in a mess from constantly running back and forth, but that didn't seem to stop the jaunty smile that decorated his face.

"Ahoy Freddy! Uh, sorry fer tha bother, I know ye have ta be busy, but just had somethin' I wanted ta talk with ye 'bout. Just fer a moment, if ye don't mind," there was a certain eagerness to his words, the way he spoke in a rather rushed manner as if he wanted to get to the point as soon as he could.

Freddy looked back at his work as he continued jotting down notes. "Go on, I'm listening."

"Ah, well, I was just thinkin' 'bout somethin' since last night, just a lil thing I think would be rather fun ta do. Somethin' ta spice up tha night from tha usual humdrum, if ye get what I mean!" Foxy clapped his hands together, tapping his fingers against the palm.

"Mmm," was all Freddy replied with, adding to the notes that one of the Fs in the sign outside had burned out.

"I was wonderin' if I could pull a lil surprise fer tha night watch this go 'round. Since he's stickin' 'round tha rest o' tha week, just thought it'd be a nice gesture! Way ta give some extra morale, eh?"

Freddy frowned, setting his pen down and looking back at the pirate. "What… kind of surprise."

"Oh, I just wanted ta give tha lad a fresh-baked pizza, is all! Give him somethin' nice, a lil treat fer havin' survived so far! I'd do it durin' me visit tanight, so it wouldn't take up any more time away from yer lil game!" Foxy beamed at his boss, his grin now turning toothy.

Freddy's brows furrowed intensely, not looking quite enraged but certainly not looking impressed. "Why on earth do you suddenly want to do something like that."

"Well, like I said, I just thought it'd be a friendly gesture! Way o' sayin' congrats fer bein' tha longest lived guard o' me own game, an' fer bein' brave enough ta actually risk his skin 'gain fer a day he didn't need ta! Plus, thought it'd be nice since his night wasn't so grand yesterday. Ye did hear him scream, right?"

"That doesn't matter, I've heard plenty of guards scream before. So have you, for that matter. He's not the first to do overtime either, so it's not like it's some grand endeavor he's doing," Freddy spoke sternly, his voice laced with denial.

"Aw, com'on matey, just this one time? I just would like ta try somethin' new, an' not just talk."

"What makes you think you'll be capable of even cooking up something edible? You remember what happened last time," Freddy's look only got more disapproving, remembering quite well how the pizzeria stunk of fire for days, practically causing another rumor to pop up that the place would burst to flames at any second.

"Oh, no worries 'bout that, I wouldn't be tha one doin' that cookin'! Was gonna get Chica ta do that, already talked ta her 'bout it an' she's on board with it! Won't even so much as look at tha oven, promise!" Foxy was quick to the response, ready to defend his idea at any point.

Freddy paused at that, thinking of a retort. "…How do you know she really wants to do that, that you're not just pressuring her? You know she's nervous around people she barely knows, she can't even stand near the other chefs without feeling uncomfortable."

"What? I didn't say tha lad was gonna cook with her, I was just sayin' she was willin' ta cook up a pizza fer him! Ye know how much she loves ta make pizza, no way she's gonna just pass up that opportunity," Foxy was rather perplexed at that counter, and practically had to resist the growing urge to call the fellow android a hypocrite. After all, he always expected Chica to play along with his game with no questions or hesitance. But he resisted, not wishing to provoke the man that would ultimately decide if he could do this or not.

"…Well, what about ingredients? Power? I'm not just gonna let you use what limited supplies we have for fun, and surely you realize the oven won't just run on air alone."

"I'll dip inta some o' me saved tips fer that; pretty sure what I've made taday alone's more than enough ta cover what I use! An' tha oven's only gonna be used fer like, ten minutes at most! Sure, that'll drain some power, but it's not like it's gonna make it dire! Pretty sure tha cameras drain it faster than that oven could!"

"You know that money goes to the higher-ups at the end of the week though. You think they'd let you just spend it to slightly increase our already limited budget?"

"Oh com'on Freddy, they don't have ta know! Just write down I made ten less dollars than I actually did on tha report, then use tha ten bucks fer what I use! I'm only making one blasted pizza, I'm pretty sure that would more than cover it! 'sides, it wouldn't hurt those stuck-ups ta get a lil less money than usual; be their just desserts really." Foxy was getting more agitated as this went on, but he kept steadfast in his resolve.

Freddy simply looked away now, not even wanting to acknowledge the insistent android. "No," was all he said.

"Matey, com'on, be reasonable he-"

"_No_," he said more sternly, about to write up the day's safety report. Before he could do so, he felt a force suddenly weigh on his arm, causing him to abruptly drop the pen at the unaccustomed feeling.

Foxy was leaning against the man's arm, draping himself across it like one would lay on a bed and putting much force down upon it. If he wasn't even going to get a decent counter than just a stubborn no, he wasn't going to play sophisticated now. "Com'ooooooooooon."

"Foxy, get off of me," Freddy tried to push the man off, but he simply gripped into the chair to keep himself steady.

"Com'ooooooooooooon," Foxy droned on, his voice going higher in pitch.

"Foxy, you're acting like a ch-"

"Com'ooooooooooo_oooooooooon_," Foxy said as his voice went into more of a gurgle at how long the word went. Eventually the word wasn't even comprehensible, as he simply made an annoying noise from the back of his throat that went on far too long.

This managed to hit Freddy's nerves far harder than he was expecting. He tried to just ignore it at first, to finish up today's report before it got any later, but the way Foxy just kept going on and on with it made his head literally pound. Gritting his teeth, he clutched the pen tightly and closed his eyes, feeling the frustration building up. Eventually he couldn't handle it anymore and responded with a rather harsh "**FINE**. Fine, you can make your stupid pizza. But don't you _dare_ do this shit again, you understand?"

Foxy smiled brightly at his success, swallowing the spit that accumulated from the gurgles and getting himself up off of the man. Looking down at Freddy, he gave a light hug before finally backing away. "Thanks matey, really appreciate it! Promise I won't, like I said it's just a one time deal I wanted ta do!"

Freddy simply grumbled at that, rubbing his rather sore arm while still keeping a disgruntled look. Foxy backed out towards the doorway, saying his thanks again before he trotted himself down the hallway. Once he left, Freddy looked over at the doorway he came in, and felt his face soften up now that the pirate wasn't around. Listening to the footsteps that gradually got quieter, once they were virtually unnoticeable, he sighed out; his face now looking concerned as he went on with his paperwork.

"_Well… wasn't expecting that. I thought a no would be good enough, I didn't think he would insist like that…_" Freddy tapped his pen against the paper, unable to get his focus back on his work. "_You're certainly not going to like this when you find out, will you? You were practically seething when you saw him out just the other day…_"

Freddy flinched at his thoughts, a twinge of disgust hitting his stomach at the memory. How he wanted to come off the stage so badly, come down and tear him apart just like he tore their bodies to pieces. Even though he knew full and well he wasn't the one who did that, the loathing was so strong, so _potent_. He shook his head as he tried to ignore the negative feeling welling within.

"_Foxy… is a good friend. He deserves something nice, something for dealing with me. And if that something nice is being even friendlier to the guard, well, I can live with it. I'll… I'll handle your anger when it comes, little one._"

—

"You sure that's a good idea?" Chica questioned, watching as Foxy climbed up on the counter to gain access to the camera.

"Aye, it's fine. Want this ta be as much o' a surprise as possible, after all! I'll hook it back up once we're done in here," Foxy steadied his feet as he reached for the wires in the back of the device. Once he located the main cord that powered the camera, he gave it a tug and unplugged it from the wall, letting it dangle down as a result. "'sides, not like it's gonna hurt much if I do ferget it. Video's been busted fer ages now, an' it's not really crucial ta know if yer in here or not."

"I… meant more about climbing on the counter. But whatever," Chica shrugged, going over to the refrigerator to pull out the ingredients. "So, Hawaiian Pizza, right?"

Foxy jumped down, making a noisy bang as he landed on the floor. He flinched a little at just how loud it was, but pulled himself together quick enough. At least Mike hadn't arrived yet, he was pretty sure that was loud enough that he could even hear it from the other side of the building. "Aye, with bacon an' banana peppers. That's what he said he liked."

Chica made a slightly disgusted face as she pulled out the tomato sauce. "God, I would've thought banana peppers would clash way too badly with the pineapple. You sure it was banana peppers?"

"Aye, been repeatin' it in me head since he first told me. Never actually had banana peppers before, they any good?" Foxy walked himself over to join Chica at the fridge, helping to get the rest of the ingredients out.

"Eh, I'm not a fan of them myself. They've got a sorta sweet, tangy taste to them, and it kinda throws me off. Like with pineapple, it just… to me it clashes too much with the savory taste to be any good," Chica sat the bottle of sauce on the table, then went back to look for the rest of the stuff.

"Fair enough then. So what do they even look like?" Foxy pulled out the bag of flour and sat it next to the sauce.

"They're like, yellow strands. Easy to tell, you'll know when you see them," Chica rummaged around until she located the small bag of yeast, setting it out as well.

With that, Foxy nodded as they finished up gathering the ingredients. Once all of them were fished out, Chica walked over to the shelf to pull down the salt and olive oil. "Pull out a couple of bowls and a big spoon for me, please. I'll get the knife and rolling pin."

"Aye aye!" Foxy complied, going over to the cabinet to get the necessary tools. It took a bit to locate the right size bowls, but after a few moments he found some that seemed large enough for the job. Once he sat the bowls on top of the counter, he reached over to the stand that held the wooden spoons and pulled one out, setting it within one of the bowls.

Chica had since pulled out the knife and rolling pin, having placed them near the cutting board on top of the table. She was now at the sink, washing her hands as she readied herself for the preparations. After a few seconds of scrubbing, Chica finally ran the warm water over her hands again and pulled off a paper towel, turning the water off with her free hand.

Giving the paper a toss to the trash can, Chica took the bowls over to the table and sat them next to the flour and sugar. "Alright, just need a cup of hot water now and we can start on the dough. Can you get me some, Foxy?"

"O' course," Foxy said, reaching over to the measuring cup and picking it up, walking over towards the sink this time. He turned the hot water and let it run for a bit, then afterwards put his finger slightly under the water to feel the temperature. He deemed it was hot enough when he pulled back and hissed a little, sucking his now red finger. With his other hand, he placed the cup under the faucet and let it fill up.

Once the water reached to the one cup mark, he pulled it out from the water and turned the sink off, walking back over to Chica while being careful not to spill the pipping hot liquid. When it was settled back onto the table, Chica went to work on preparing the dough. First she coated the smaller bowl with oil, then poured the water, yeast and sugar together. In the other bowl, Chica put in the flour and salt, and waited as the yeast started to activate.

When the yeast began to foam, Chica scooped a little hole within the flour and salt mixture, then poured the yeast within the middle. She finished up the combination by putting in more oil, then took the spoon and began to mix it all together. Foxy simply watched now as the dry ingredients moistened over time, leaning over on the other side of the table and tapping his fingers to the wood.

Chica sprinkled flour on the cutting board now, then took the goop in the bowl and scooped it out until it was all within the flour. With that, she began to knead the dough. "Could you rinse out one of the bowls? Gonna have to use it again, but I need the gunk out of them."

Foxy nodded, taking the larger bowl and running it under the sink. Once it was all washed up, he took a few paper towels and dried the inside off, then sat it back next to Chica. After a few minutes of turning the dough, Chica brushed her hands off and got the oil out again, greasing up the bowl once more. When it was properly oiled up, Chica took the dough and placed it right in the middle, then put plastic wrap over the top. "Okay, just take that marker over there and draw a circle around where the dough is. We'll use that to watch how the dough expands."

Foxy hummed in confirmation, picking up the permanent marker that sat off to the side. Pulling the lid off, he placed the tip to the plaster and carefully drew a circle roughly in the shape of the dough. Chica had since gone over to the sink to wash off her now grimy hands. "Now just flip on that lamp in the corner and put the bowl under the light. That'll help heat it up so it'll rise faster."

"How long's it gonna take, lass?" Foxy asked as he followed the instructions, putting the bowl beneath the lamp and turning it on.

"About an hour or two, depends on the recipe and temperature. I used a pretty basic recipe though, so it should take an hour at least."

"Blimey, that sure seems a long time just ta make one pizza. How're ye able ta make so many in a day?" Foxy raised an eyebrow at the response.

"Oh, this is more than enough to make like, five or so pizzas once it all expands. I have to cut it up into sections, and I'll use one of the sections to make the pizza. I'll save the rest up for tomorrow; and hey, this'll make preparing in the morning a little easier too. Already'll have like four things ready, saves some time."

Foxy hummed at that, nodding at the explanation. "So that's why ye wanted ta start on this so early, I get it now. Was worried we'd make it too fast an' it'd already be cold once tha lad arrived, heh," Foxy walked himself over to the kitchen door and pushed it open. "I'm gonna check ta make sure everthin's still in place, want me ta grab a card game while I'm out?"

"Uh, sure. Get one of the basic decks, I think I'd like to play some War."

"Ah, good choice lass! Be back in a bit!" Foxy gave a little salute as the walked out of the room, the door swinging shut behind him.

—

"Haha, got ourselves a war here, eh?" Foxy sang as he flipped over his card. Both him and Chica had drawn out an eight, Foxy's being of hearts and Chica's of clubs. They were playing the most basic version of the game, so the symbols had no determining factor over the value of the card.

Chica hummed as she drew out three cards faced down. Foxy did much of the same, then drew a fourth card and placed it in the upright position. He drew unluckily and managed a two, while Chica flipped out a three, just barely beating him. Foxy pouted out a little, then chuckled to himself as he pushed his cards over to Chica.

"By the seas, can't seem ta get a lucky break taday, huh? Don't even know how many times I've drawn a tw-" Foxy cut himself off when his sensors picked up a heat signature approaching the building from the front. Going deathly quiet, he looked towards the door and merely stared at it. Chica followed suit, staying silent so as to not alert whoever it was.

Foxy carefully trotted over to the kitchen door, opening it up just enough so as to hear any noise. A few seconds passed, and they could hear the front door open and close, followed by a clicking noise as the bolt was put in place. Footsteps then sounded out through the dining room, getting louder as it walked towards the hallways before eventually quieting down. Once the footsteps were no longer audible, Foxy gave a smile and closed the door.

"Well, lad's here. Tha dough ready yet?"

Chica pushed herself off the table and went to the lamp, looking into the bowl to see how much the dough had expanded. "… It's a little bigger, but not quite ready yet. I'd say another twenty minutes, then we check again."

"Alrighty then," Foxy said as he walked himself back to the table. "So we still got some time ta kill, an' I still got a chance ta win! Let's go lass, yer luck's just 'bout up!" he replied cheerful, taking the top card off of his deck and flipping it over for his next play.

—

"Okay, dough's big enough. Clear off the table please, I'm gonna wash my hands now," Chica replied, carrying the bowl over and setting it down next to the cutting board once more.

Foxy complied and gathered up the cards, stacking them all together and pushing them back in the box. Once it was situated in place, Foxy walked over to the counter and put them off to the side, then joined Chica at the sink to follow suit in washing his own hands.

When both of their hands were properly clean, the two of them walked over to the table once more. Chica pulled off the plastic wrap, then took the dough out of the bowl and sat it on the cutting board. With that, she picked up the knife and began dividing the dough into separate pieces, being careful so as to make each division the same size.

Once they were properly cut up, Chica pulled the plate over from the side towards her. She picked up one of the pieces and started to roll it up into a ball. "Take that cloth now and get it damp. Not soaking though, wring it out until it's not dripping water."

Foxy took the cloth off the table and went over to the sink. "Can I ask what's tha point o' it? Out o' all o' tha stuff we used, this probably confuses me tha most."

"It's to help moisturize the dough, so it's easier to shape and won't be so dry when you take it out of the oven," Chica said as she placed the first ball down on the plate, then picked up another piece and did much of the same with it.

"Ah," Foxy simply said as he followed the command, running the cloth under the water until it was properly wet, then squeezed it hard to get all the extra liquid out. When there was no longer a string of water constantly coming from the corner, Foxy gave it one last shake before he draped it over his hand and went back to Chica.

Chica had finished up rolling the pieces, placing each one on the plate. With that, she gestured for Foxy to place the cloth over them. Foxy gently laid it over each piece, making sure they were all covered up. "So when will they be ready now?"

"Few minutes, I say. You know it's ready when you poke your finger in it and it makes an indention."

"Sure seems like a lot o' effort just ta make this much. Still amazed ye manage all this everyday lass. I can't hardly keep me tables in order, yet ye manage ta make hundreds o' these without a hitch," Foxy beamed, complimenting the woman generously.

Chica looked away as she smiled a shy smile. She always got flustered when she got compliments, even if they were ones she's heard a dozen times over. "Ah, well, just doing what I was made to do, it's… nothing impressive."

"Nonsense! I'm doin' what I was made ta do too, an' I don't have anywhere near tha amount o' finesse! 'sides, yer probably tha hardest worker out o' us all; startin' as soon as this lil game is up an' not finishin' til that bell rings fer tha day ta end! It's incredible lass, impressive!"

Chica couldn't help a giggle as she covered her face to hide the blush that had began to grow. Foxy always was the kind of guy that seemed to give the most genuine of compliments, with the way he says it so compassionately. Foxy had since smiled at the woman's reactions; her laughs were rare and her giggles scarce, so whenever he managed to elicit one from her, he couldn't help but feel proud.

After a few minutes of casual banter as they waited for the dough to finish up, Chica pressed her finger into the cloth to see it cave in a little. With that, she nodded to herself as she took the cloth off; scrunching it up and putting it to the side. She pulled one of the balls off and placed it on the pizza pan that now rested where the bowls once were. "Alright, put the rest of these in the fridge, please."

Foxy did so, picking up the plate and maneuvering around Chica to avoid impeding her work. He ended up grunting slightly in frustration, not seeing an immediate opening to place the plate in, but managed by pushing some bottles to the back. While he did that, Chica took the rolling pin and began to flatten the ball of dough out. After a couple of rolls, she finished up the job with her hands, pressing down on the edges to smooth it all out.

"And now for the fun part. Ah, could you turn the oven on? Set it to 400."

"Ye trust me that much with it?" Foxy chuckled out, jaunting himself to the oven. He pressed the bake button, the pressed the up arrow until the number read 400.

"You're a big boy now, I think you can handle some buttons," Chica said nonchalantly, taking the lid off the sauce and pouring a decent amount in the middle. With a spoon, she smoothed the sauce over the dough until it was covered to her liking, tracing the edges to even it out.

Foxy came back over to the table, picking up the one of the bags of shredded cheese and opening it up. He watched Chica do her work, carefully running the spoon over the dough so that no one section of the pizza had more sauce than the other. Once she was satisfied, she placed the spoon down and picked up the other bag, signalling it was time for the cheese.

The two of them scooped up handfuls of the yellow and white cheeses, sprinkling it over the red sauce. Foxy was far more hasty in his approach, not being as meticulous as Chica was with her distribution. But Chica kept quiet, having to force back a whine that was wanting to spill out so Foxy could have his fun. When the pizza was properly cheesed enough, Chica gently ran her hands over it to make sure it was all evened out, completely covering the tomato sauce.

With that, she brushed her hands off and took two containers, pushing them towards Foxy. "I'll do the ham and bacon, you do the pineapple and banana peppers. Try to make sure they're all spaced apart the same, so no one piece has more of one topping than the other."

"Aye aye, lass!" Foxy said, taking off the first lid to see what was housed within. He didn't recognized it as the small cubes that would be pineapple, so this must've been banana peppers. Picking up the container, he put it close to his face and sniffed just for the hell of it. He flinched rather hard at the rather strong, spicy fumes the small yellow strands held.

"Yipes, certainly packs a punch, don't they?" Foxy sat down the container and put his hand into it, taking out a handful of the damp substance. With his other hand, he took one pepper at a time and laid it on the pizza.

"Actually has a much more mild taste to it than smell would imply," Chica said as she carefully placed the pieces of bacon on the pizza. It was a much slower approach than just scattering it on like most people did, but she had a certain way she made her pizzas and never liked to stray far from it.

"Hmm…" Foxy hummed to himself. Looking at the one piece that he held in between his fingers, instead of putting it on the pizza like he planned to, he placed it on his mouth and chewed. His face scrunched up at the rather bizarre taste the pepper had, being nothing like anything else he had tried before. He smacked his lips together and swallowed it, rubbing his tongue against one tooth to get out a piece that was stuck. "Not sure if I like it or not. It's _weird_, that's fer sure."

"Like I said, I think it just clashes too badly with the savory taste to be any good. But other people like it, so eh. Guess it's still more appealing than anchovies, though."

"Hey now, anchovies are good! Can't beat that saltiness, haha!" Foxy continued with his topping process, placing each strip of pepper a good few inches apart.

"That saltiness is unbearable, I don't get how you like it so much. It's like eating salt water, it's just… _bleh_."

Foxy shrugged and stayed quiet at that, not looking offended as he hummed to himself. The two kept working on the pizza until it was properly covered up, each corner having a lovely balance of the four toppings on it. With that, the oven beeped to signify it was at the right temperature.

"Alright, and the final part; the cooking," Chica carefully picked up the pan and held it steady so no toppings would drop off. Using her free hand, she opened up the oven and placed the pizza inside, then closed it up. "Should be ready in eight minutes or so."

Foxy nodded excitedly at that, closing up the containers once more. He couldn't wait to see the lad's face.

—

Mike tapped his fingers on the tablet's screen, feeling antsy at just how everything seemed to be going so far. It had been over thirty minutes since the game started, but everything seemed so oddly calm for what was supposedly the hardest night of the week. Neither Bonnie nor Chica had gotten off the stage, and the curtain to Pirate Cove remained closed.

Not only that, but he couldn't help but notice that the kitchen camera flat out didn't seem to work now. It no longer would bring up the message saying "Camera Disabled, Audio Only," and instead was just a solid black screen with not even the record button showing. It unnerved him a little, knowing now he couldn't check that room whenever he couldn't locate Chica; but he guessed that if he couldn't find her anywhere else, that would narrow it down quick enough.

Mike merely sat in his chair, occasionally turning on the tablet to see if any of the animatronics had moved. After some time had passed, Mike couldn't help but notice a smell that seemed to form. It wasn't very strong, but there was definitely a distinct aroma to it; one that he recognized as pizza. Feeling confused, he unconsciously turned the tablet on to see if there was anything happening in the kitchen, only to remember as soon as he saw the blank screen that it wasn't working.

He frowned at that, wondering if there was possibly something bad happening in the kitchen. Surely they wouldn't just leave the oven on, would they? Either that or he wondered if this was another possible hallucination, one of those very rare instances where he thought he smelt something that wasn't really there. Usually when he experienced olfactory ones, they would smell like either absolute shit or, bizarrely, of too-strong perfume; never of anything quite so basic as pizza.

Whatever the case was, he certainly knew he wasn't going to leave this room to check. If the place was indeed on fire, he supposed he would see it spread quick enough for him to react; and he would assume the animatronics would be far more concerned about the fire than they would be of nabbing him. If it was just another hallucination, Mike would just shrug it off; it wasn't a bad odor at all, and frankly the smell-based ones he experienced never really did much of anything other than confuse him for a while.

With that, Mike turned the camera back over to the show stage as he continued with his shift. Hopefully this smell wouldn't make him too hungry.

—

Chica puts on a pair of oven gloves, going over to the oven and opening it up. She examines the pizza a moment before deciding it's cooked enough, then reaches in and pulls it out. Foxy stands a good distance away so as to not block her path with the searing pan, or to cause a trip and make their hard work go to waste. With a bit of humming out in discomfort, Chica quickly steps to the table and sets the pizza down.

"Alright, just needs to cool now and it'll be done. I'd say give it ten minutes," Chica said as she took one of the gloves off, setting it to the side as she got the pizza cutter.

Foxy walked over to the table and examined the newly baked pizza. The cheeses had melted spectacularly, made even more apparent by how it stuck to the cutter in strings. Each topping had baked neatly into the cheese, caving in so no one piece would come loose from movement. Chica carefully measured each piece she cut, making sure to get as close to even as she possibly could.

"Well, no surprise here, it looks great Chica! I'm sure tha lad'll love it; hell, I'm already in love with it meself, haha!" Foxy said joyfully, having to resist the incredible urge to already take a slice. "_Mike should be tha one who gets tha first slice; it's his pizza, after all_," he thought to himself, humming as he tapped his fingers to the table.

Chica could feel another smile bubble up, and with that she tried to hide her face out of embarrassment. She always felt nervous to smile, even around the people she practically knew as family; it seemed silly, but that's just how she acted. But none of them would question it, and none of them would try to change it; Chica's just being Chica, after all.

"Well, I can't take all the credit now, can I? You helped with topping this thing, and turning on the oven so it could cook," Chica replied as she finished up her precision cutting, satisfied at her results.

"Bah, turnin' on tha oven's hardly somethin' ta get credit fer! An' ye made sure tha toppin's were all in proper place, so they'd get cooked in thoroughly! Ye had ta rearrange tha mess I did cause I hadn't tha foggiest on how ta actually top these without o'erloadin' it, ye really did all tha work lass."

Chica shook her head, taking the pizza cutter over to the sink to wash it off. "You helped though, no matter how little, so we can safely say we both cooked the pizza. Is that fair to you, captain?"

"Well, as long as ye say yer tha one ta make it so masterfully at tha end o' it! I can just be tha lil scamp who made a mess, haha!" Foxy went over to the door now. "I think I'm gonna go get tha lad; probably'll still be a while fer tha thing ta cool, but I'm just so blasted excited, ye know? Ye think ye could carry tha pizza out once it's cool?"

Chica froze at that, ceasing her actions of scrubbing the cutter clean. She simply stared at the running water now, scared to even give an answer. She was so bad with people, even if it was just a simple delivery she wasn't sure she would be able to do it.

"Lass?" Foxy said, his face softening a bit in concern at her lack of response.

Chica blinked a little, then shook her head as she finally answered, "I don't… think I could. I-I know you said he's a pretty nice guy, but I just…"

"Hey now, that's all I need ta hear. Don't need ta go explainin' yerself, if yer not comfortable in doin' it then ye shouldn't do it. I'll handle bringin' tha pizza out then. Sorta still want ta keep it surprisin' fer tha lad though, so got a bit o' an idea ta keep it that way."

Chica simply stayed quiet, humming to signify she was listening.

"Ye stay in tha kitchen so ye don't have ta have a run in with Mike; once tha time has passed, I'll go ta tha door an' knock on it, ta show I'm ready. With tha, ye just hand me tha pizza through tha door an' I'll do all tha rest! That sound good ta ye lass?"

Chica nodded at that, turning the water off and tearing a paper towel to dry the cutter off. "I can handle that, yeah. I'll… wait until you're done with him to come out then. Maybe make some more dough while I'm in here. Or something."

"Alrighty! I'll be off then, see ye in a few matey!" Foxy smiled, waving goodbye as he exited the kitchen.

—

Mike furrowed his brow as he once again checked Pirate Cove, still seeing no sign of the fox animatronic. It had been nearly an hour now and still nothing had happened. Foxy hadn't even so much as peak out yet, and usually he was looking at the camera within a good twenty minutes of his shift.

He couldn't help but feel uncomfortable, worrying at the idea that this was all a trap to get him bored so he wouldn't pay attention to when they did get active. He flipped back to the show stage, and still the three animatronics were present on it. He scratched at his neck, a nervous twitch for his growing anxiety.

Though he had no real reason to switch over to another room, he couldn't help himself but switch to the backroom as if Bonnie were active. When he did, it took him a moment to realize what was up, and when he did he felt his heart pick up pace. All of the parts in the room seemed to be staring right at him, even the endoskeleton that sat on the table was up straight and glaring.

Mike tried to flip away from the room, to get away from the unwavering glances that the eyeless objects all had, but for some reason the camera was stuck. He would tap on one of the cameras and nothing would happen, the tablet being unresponsive. Mike swallowed hard, he tried at this point to power the screen down but even then the button did nothing. He pressed it rapidly, tried holding it down, doing everything he could to make the stares stop.

In his quickly growing panic, he didn't even hear the footsteps or tapping coming from the right side of the office. "Heya Mike!" the pirate replied happily, a giant smile plastered on his face.

Mike yelped and tossed the tablet over at the intruding force, hitting the android right in the chest before clattering down to the floor. Foxy's smiles falters a little at that, his stare going down to look at the chucked equipment. The he snorts before letting out a laugh. "Well, that's one way ta say hello, inn't it?"

The security guard blinks before he realizes what just happened. When he finally does, he groans and smacks himself in the face, feeling like a proper idiot at his once again improper reaction. "Oh god damn, I just… shit, sorry man, the tablet was freaking out and I got too caught up into it to notice you come."

Foxy squatted down and picked the tablet up, the screen now being dark but luckily not a crack had formed from the fall. "What seems ta be tha problem with it?"

"Oh, it was like, frozen or some shit. Screen wouldn't power off if I pressed the button, wouldn't switch to another camera when I tried to press it. It sorta reminds me of my phone when it sometimes gets too much info at once."

Foxy pressed the little button at the top of the tablet, causing the screen to power back on. The camera's were now on the supply closet and not on the backroom. Foxy pressed each of the camera sections to see if any were unresponsive, but each camera—sans the kitchen one, as it was still unplugged—flipped on without a hitch. Not only that, but the backroom was back to its original state; the heads turned away and the skeleton leaning over slightly.

"Seems ta be workin' now, maybe it had a hiccup. Sometimes does that, what with it bein' off-brand tech an' all that," Foxy sat the tablet on the desk, then clapped his hands. "Well, pack yer stuff up, we're goin' on a trip matey! Got a surprise fer ye, but ye gotta join me in tha dining area ta get it, haha!"

Mike's brow furrowed at that, looking a little confused. "Huh? What of?"

"Well now, it ain't no fun ta just tell ye now, is it? Com'on, I'll lead ye again like last time," the pirate's smile was absolutely radiant, his hand extended towards the man.

Mike looked at the hand and contemplated it for a moment. He sort of did want to be guided again, feel Foxy's warm hand over his own, but he actually had his flashlight back in order now. He felt like it would be too dishonest of a move if he just acted like he still had no means to navigate. "Ah, actually, I have my flashlight back now. So I could use it instead. Not bother you with the walking backwards and all that."

Foxy blew out some air, making an exasperated noise. "Nonsense, ain't no trouble at all. But if ye want ta use it instead, well that's fine by me!" he withdrew his hand back to his side, but kept his smile steady so as to not cause discouragement. He wasn't too sure why, but the man's denial at his offer sort of made him… disappointed, he supposed was the best way of putting it.

Mike reached over for his bag, pulling it into his lap and opening it up. He stuck his hand in it to where he thought he put the flashlight, but instead was met with an empty pocket. He scrunched his face up again, trying to rummage around in the bag's bottom to see if maybe he just threw it in there again, but still had no luck with finding it.

"Oh damn it, bag ate it again. Give me a sec," he said as he scooted up his chair to the desk, beginning to pull stuff out of his bag so he could find where the flashlight wandered off to.

"Again eh? Maybe ye need ta feed it," Foxy chuckled out, not able to resist a bad joke as he leaned himself against the desk.

"Oh trust me, this fucker eats enough shit as is," Mike said, taking out a bottle that was in his bag and setting it on the desk. He didn't give it a proper look, and assumed from the clear liquid inside that it was the bottle of water he brought with him.

Curious at what Mike pulled out, Foxy picks it up and gives it a read. He looks casual at first, reading the first line, "CleanStream." But then he gets to the middle, which causes him to react like a child and snort loudly, holding back laughter; "Natural Anal Lube."

Mike looks up when he hears the snort, seeing Foxy hold the bottle with a very immature smile on his face. It's then that he realizes what the bottle actually is. Making a loud, embarrassed noise, he gets out of his and quickly swipes it away from the pirate. "NooooOOOO FUCK," he all but shouts in a very squeaky voice, his face completely flushed.

At this reaction, Foxy no longer could hold back his laughter as he howled out, doubling over as he wheezes.

"Aaaaah no, stop it!" Mike whines out as he covers his face, completely flustered at his blunder. He always had a bad feeling that one day he would fuck up and someone who shouldn't know would find out he just carried lube on him, but _damn_, he wasn't expecting it to happen here of all places.

Foxy's laughter gets gaspy, as he tries to get it in more control but failing spectacularly. As he goes on, Mike gets back into his chair and promptly returns the lube back to the bag, then curls up on himself out of sheer embarrassment. He was a grown ass man, sex was to be expected, but damn if he couldn't feel like a teen whose parents just found his stash of porn.

After a few more gasps, Foxy finally manages to calm his laughter until it's nothing more than chortles. He looks down at the man hiding in shame, trying to wipe off the all too juvenile look on his face. "Haha, h-hey Mike, ah, sorry 'bout just losing it like that. I just… wasn't expectin' ta read _that_, aha!" he nearly bursts back into laughter just at talking, keeping his lips sealed and his mouth covered to try and stay polite.

Mike just whined more at that, curling up even tighter as his face was cherry-red. In his head he repeating the word "idiot" over and over again.

Foxy took in a shaky breath to try and compose himself. His mood quickly turned somber when he noticed that how he curled up had striking similarities to how he was like yesterday; hiding in fear, terrified of the outside world. His face softened as now he felt like a proper jackass. "Lad, I'm really sorry, that was rude o' me ta act like that," he said with gentle seriousness, not a hint of laughter or mockery to his voice.

Mike simply made another noise, still too embarrassed to uncover his face.

Foxy wasn't sure what to do now. To him, he felt like he absolutely ruined the man's mood; he made fun of all too personal business just with that laugh alone, no doubt he would be upset. In honesty, Mike was simply wishing the earth would swallow him up, flustered beyond belief that he did such a blunder like that. Foxy kept quiet, afraid that he would worsen Mike's mood if he said anything more.

Eventually Mike looks up, his face still rather flushed. Rubbing his cheek, he looks over at the pirate that still stood next to him, and was rather shocked to see the serious look the android had. A face that was contorted with childish glee mere moments ago now looked absolutely solemn. "Ah, are you alright?"

"I'm fine matey, I should be tha one askin' ye. Ye looked all… scared again, I was worried I really overstepped tha line there."

"Huh, did I? I… I wasn't scared, just really embarrassed."

"Again, I'm really sorry lad. I should've just minded me own business, shouldn't o' looked at yer things without yer permission."

"No no, you didn't do anything wrong! Hell, I'm the one who acted ridiculous, if someone had just casually pulled out lube in front of me I probably would've lost it too! Acted like a big baby when we're both grown-ass men here."

"But still, I shouldn't o' messed with it. Should've just left it where it was an' let ye do yer thing; 'specially since it's somethin' usually meant ta be private an' ye clearly weren't findin' it as funny as I did. I can't apologize enough matey."

Mike shook his head, going into his bag again and this time not pulling stuff out, rummaging around in his continued search for the flashlight. "Honestly, now that I'm not screaming internally, it actually was pretty funny. Someone just nonchalantly pulling lube out, not even paying attention to what they were doing. Make you wonder why they'd even carry something like that on them, doesn't it?"

"Still not any o' my business ta wonder."

Mike hummed at the rather stubborn responses the pirate was giving, being so adamant over something that honestly shouldn't matter that much. "Like I said dude, I'm not upset or anything. Hell, I'm sorta shocked you even knew what this was; no offense to you, but you don't seem like the kind of guy who'd know much about sex."

Foxy blinked, then snorted once more at the assertion, cracking a little smile. "Well, sorry ta disappoint ye there, but I'm 'fraid I'm not quite that naive. We _do_ have a computer, after all."

"Fair enough then," Mike said, moving around some more stuff. After a bit more rearranging, Mike finally found the flashlight at the bottom left-hand corner of the bag, next to one of his CDs. With that, he tugged on the little chain attached to it and pulled it out. "Alright, found it!" he exclaimed, setting it on the desk so he could put up the few things he pulled out.

"So… yer not mad at me?" Foxy couldn't help but question, still feeling guilt at what he did.

"What? Oh no, course not! It's just a silly little thing dude, worst I got was flustered! No worries man!" Mike zipped up his bag once it was all packed once more, picking up his flashlight and getting out of his seat. "Well, let's see this surprise you have for me then!" he smiled, clicking the button to turn the flashlight on and shining it on the android's chest.

Foxy returned the smile, relieved that the lad didn't seem hurt after all. "Follow me then, just down tha hall!"

Mike nodded as the two of them left the room.

—

"Alright, just have a seat anywhere ye like an' I'll get it shortly!" Foxy called out, running to the light switch and flipping it on.

Mike clicked the button to turn the flashlight off, looking around the area for a good enough spot. He decided on sitting at the edge of the fifth table, as he liked to gravitate towards the middle of the room. Mike inhaled deeply, he swore the smell of pizza was even stronger now. Was the surprise a pizza then, or was his hallucination just getting more vivid now?

Mike looked at the stage that stood at the edge of the room. On it, the three animatronics still stood steady on it, looking away towards the door. He turned himself around to see where Foxy was, and saw that he was standing by the kitchen door; he looked like he was talking to someone, but he wasn't sure.

When he turned around, he jumped when he noticed that Freddy had turned around from his spot, staring straight at him. Despite the fact the eyes were plastic and lacking emotions, he couldn't help but feel like they were glaring at him, seething with rage. He swallowed at this, trying to avert his gaze away from the animatronic bear, but having an impending sense of doom of something bad happening.

Mike was simply staring at the wall now, trying to zone out enough so as to not think about the animatronics coming after him. After all, he was with Foxy, and Foxy said nothing bad would happen as long as he's around. But still, that bear…

A metallic sliding noise was heard on the table, causing Mike to look over. On the table now stood a special Hawaiian pizza, cooled off to a nice temperature. "Tada!" Foxy exclaimed, smiling brightly as he sat himself down across from the man.

Mike blinked, his mouth slightly agape at that. So it _was_ pizza he was smelling, not a hallucination this time. And not only that, it was his favorite kind; the kind he almost never got because his brother never would stomach it. "Woah, holy shit dude, you made me a pizza?"

"Well, Chica did most o' tha work really. I just had tha idea an' she helped bring it ta life. I'm no good at cookin', heh," Foxy said, rubbing the back of his head. "I really hope I got tha toppings right, I thought I did but I've sorta been havin' doubts since Chica said she thought it was a poor combination. It _was_ banana peppers, right?"

"Yup, this looks right! Hawaiian pizza with bacon and banana peppers! From the sounds of it, I guess she's not a fan either. Her and Ronnie would probably get along," Mike said, taking a piece off the pan. The cheese was very stringy, stretching out as the piece was removed; a good sign of a well-made pizza.

"Ronnie?"

"My brother."

"Ah."

Mike took a bite out of the pizza, and hummed out when his tastebuds tasted a particularly strong kick of the banana pepper. He always did like them for their mildness, having just enough spice to them to not make his tongue hurt horribly. Not only that, but the cheese was amazing; a wonderful blend of cheddar and mozzarella, so that the taste wouldn't just consist of one kind.

"Mmm, holy shit man, I don't remember the pizzas here being this good when I was a kid! Maybe I was just too young to notice back then, but _damn,_" Mike said after he swallowed his first bite, taking another one immediately afterwards and getting the wonderful sweetness of the pineapple.

"Haha, well Chica's pizzas always seem ta be great! She makes tha dough herself, an' she knows just how ta spread tha toppings ta give tha best taste! That an' she constantly monitors it while it cooks, so tha cheese doesn't burn. She really knows ta cook up a pizza, she's probably tha biggest reason we've lasted as long as we did."

Mike nodded at that, swallowing once more. "You not gonna get a piece?"

"Ah, well, it's yer pizza matey."

"Hell dude, I wish I could eat a whole pizza. Come on, I'll live without a slice or two! Unless you're not a fan of it either?"

"Honestly I've never had a pizza with this combo o' ingredients before; mostly just stick ta pepperoni an' anchovies. Not sure if I'll like it, an' considerin' ye haven't really heard good feedback from other's 'bout it, I'm sorta worried 'bout addin' insult ta injury."

"Nah dude, it's fine! You'll never find out if you just sit there and think what you might like! Besides, everyone has different tastes; not like I'm gonna get all heartbroken if you say you're not a fan of it."

Foxy gave a light chuckle and nodded, "Alright, fair enough. If I do like it though, I promise I won't eat no more than two. Still yer pizza, after all," with that, he took a slice of his own, pulling the cheese strings that formed and laying it atop the slice.

"Why did you make me a pizza anyway? Seems like way too nice of a thing to do. Like I'm not complaining or anything, I'm just really shocked, is all."

"Like I said, Chica was tha one who made it."

"You know what I mean."

"Right. Ah, well, I just thought it'd be a nice thing ta do! Ye sorta had a rough time yesterday, so I thought that maybe ye'd like a lil surprise ta make yer night! Can't really do this more than once though, sad ta say, but I'm amazed I managed ta convince Freddy ta let me do this even once," Foxy took a bite of the pizza once he finished his explanation, getting an immediate taste of ham and bacon.

Mike blinked at that, and couldn't help but form a smile around the bite he took.

"Oh holy shit, pizza! Sign me up for a slice!" a new voice joined in on the conversation. To Foxy's left, Bonnie had walked into view; outside of their suit and looking quite eager.

"Hey now, who said ye could crash tha party?" Foxy joshed, smiling as his friend came over to join.

"I did, just now. So whatcha two eating?" Bonnie said as they sat themself down next to the pirate.

"Hawaiian pizza! Really damn good, it'd be a crime if I said you couldn't have a slice!" Mike beamed, taking another bite and getting a combo of bacon and pineapple.

Bonnie looked at the pizza, then frowned slightly when they noticed the ingredients. "Ah, I'm… not a meat eater. Just don't think it feels right to eat other creatures."

"Well pick 'em off an' hand 'em ta me then! Ye know I love me some good meat!" Foxy said, holding his free hand out.

"Ah, alright, sure!" Bonnie took a slice of pizza off of the pan, then picked off each piece of bacon and ham that adorned the slice, putting them in Foxy's outstretched hand. Once they were all off, Foxy tossed his hand to his mouth and ate all the pieces at once.

The three of them chatted casually as they ate, talking happily amongst one another. Foxy talked about how he received a twenty dollar tip from one customer, which ultimately was what made the pizza idea successful from the start. Bonnie laughed about how one kid decided to try and take their spot as the greeter before their mom called them off to their table. Mike simply stayed quiet, not really having any sort of grand story to tell.

As they talked, harsh stomps could be heard resounding from the room. Looking over, they saw the presence of a third man, walking off towards a door that stood opposite from the back room. Mike was confused at first, until Foxy tried to greet the man.

"Ahoy Freddy! Wanna join us fer a slice?" the pirate called out happily, hoping that maybe for once the stubborn man would let loose this night and have a more benevolent form of fun.

The man stopped in his place and turned around, looking at the android first before his glare fell onto Mike. It was hard and unwelcoming, no hint of kindness to it. He looked like he would rather wring his neck out before even considering being within three feet of the guard. With that, the man turned himself back around to his trek to the door, then once he made it he opened it up and slammed it loudly behind him.

Foxy frowned deeply at the rather hostile behavior his boss exuded. He thought it was completely unnecessary, being so harsh to someone he never even so much as chatted to before. But he always was like this to the guards, always so aggressive and antagonistic. He wished he would at least give the guy a chance before outright condemning him like that.

"I'm really sorry fer that lad. Freddy… Freddy's just not good with guards fer whatever reason. If he got ta know ye, I'd have no doubts he'd like ye a whole lot. But he's just so stubborn, it's… frustrating, ta say tha least."

Mike swallowed, still feeling the harsh glares burn into his skin; if looks could kill, that one damn well would've mutilated him. He took in a breath and continued with his slice. "Sorta doubt it, but whatever. Guess it's a bit much to wish that everybody liked me."

"It not you dude, Freddy's just got a stick up his ass. Hasn't trusted a single guard since the murders, it's rather ridiculous. Like yeah, the murders were fucking brutal and shit, but that doesn't mean every guard afterwards is gonna be some horrible monster! He just needs to lay off for once, realize there's more to life than petty revenge bullshit," Bonnie took a bite as they spoke, covering their mouth so no stray food particles would spatter out.

Foxy nodded in agreement with that, finishing up his slice. One thing he admired about Bonnie was how they weren't ever hesitant on calling out stuff that seemed silly to them. The pirate wished he had that kind of confidence to speak his mind like that, but he always was worried of saying the wrong thing and hurting someone as a result.

"Ah well, I guess it's sorta understandable. I'd probably be cautious around people like that too, if I was in his position. I wouldn't exactly want to _kill_ people, but hey, maybe that's just me," Mike tried to be casual with it, make light of a serious matter, but he couldn't help the sinking feeling he felt in his gut. He didn't want to ruin to rather nice night with another spell of hopelessness, so he tried to keep it bottled up.

"Erm, why don't we go on 'bout somethin' else? No need ta make our moods go sour just cause o' one grumpy puss," Foxy spoke up, noticing the man's uncomfortable look that he failed to hide.

"Yeah, yeah sounds good. Ah, well, got any more stories to share then?" Mike took another slice of the pizza once he finished up his first slice.

"We've sorta took all the focus already, why don't you talk about yourself dude? Bound to be a lot more interesting than anything we have to say," Bonnie said, pulling off a banana pepper and eating it on its own.

"Uh, not really, no. Like I hardly do much of anything really, I can't even think up any good stories of like, shit I've done in the past. Most exciting thing I can think of right now is, hey, I hatched a shiny Flabébé on my game of Y."

Both of the androids had far off looks to them. Bonnie looked at him as if he just spoke in an entirely different language, and Foxy merely looked confused as to what those words even meant.

"See man, the shit I find interesting is stuff you guys don't have a clue about. It's best that I try not to make it more confusing for you. Besides, I like hearing out what other people do more than I like bragging about my own shit anyway."

"Hey now, I think I'd quite like ta learn more 'bout what ye do, lad! Probably be really interestin' ta find out! Don't put yerself down so quickly matey, yer life isn't as bland as ye think it is!" the pirate gave an encouraging smile, laying his hands to the table.

"Trust me, even I don't find this stuff enticing. There's really not much to say dude, not even trying to put myself down. Just saying the truth."

The three decided not to argue much past that; if Mike didn't care to speak up with his own stories, well, that was his own decision to make. Bonnie decided to pipe up and talk about how one of the new waitresses seemed to have some sort of interest in them, as whenever she had free time she would spend it with the android. The two simply listened on with that, Mike eating up his piece and Foxy flipping his eye patch over and off his eye with a finger.

Mike's attention was eventually stolen away by the actions of the pirate, going from giving it a side glance to full on looking at the android. It was such a small action, but somehow it managed to catch his eye quite strongly.

Foxy soon could feel the stares on him, so he turned his head around from staring at Bonnie's storytelling to looking at the man that sat in front of him. "Hm?"

"Oh, uh, nothing. Was just looking at your eye patch thing. Ah, this is probably gonna be a really stupid question, but could I ask why you wear it? You have like, both of your eyes, so it seems really pointless to have."

Foxy smiled and left his eye patch down over his eye this go around. "Oh well, us pirates don't just wear these if we lose an eye! That's actually a really old myth, brought up cause people thought it was so bizarre ta wear 'em! In actuality-"

"Oh lord, you just opened up the floodgates now, brace yourself," Bonnie teased out, nibbling on the crust of his slice.

Foxy blinked at that statement, before he shrugged and went on, "In actuality, us pirates wear 'em in order so one o' our eyes would always be adjusted ta tha dark when we have ta go below deck! So that way we wouldn't have ta wait fer our eyes ta get used ta tha darkness; we'd have one eye covered all tha time above deck, an' when we went below we took it off an' switched it ta tha other eye!"

Foxy was the kind of man who could talk for hours about pirate trivia. All you had to do was mention the word, and it would get the ball moving for him to info dump. As a result, even as the rather simple question was answered, Foxy couldn't help but go on and on about different facts about the pirate's life; seamlessly going from one topic to another.

Mike was honestly shocked at just how much the android spoke. He had expected a short answer, but instead he was now being told about the legacy of Ching Shih, one of the greatest pirates to ever grace the seas. Bonnie was trying their best to hold back laughter, knowing all to well about how Foxy would delve so deeply into the topic if no one tried to stop him, but couldn't resist just letting him go on.

Mike simply listened on, not wanting to be rude at the android's obvious excitement. He tried to listen to it, but admittedly the topic was just something that couldn't grab his interest, so the words quickly blurred together before he knew it. His mind had wandered off to other things, like how his slice had a rather large chunk of pineapple on it, and how the pirate's mouth looked tauntingly like a goal right now.

He smirked horribly to himself, knowing full well that it was a bad idea. But he couldn't resist it one bit, taking the chunk off and aiming it to throw when Foxy's mouth was opened enough. The android wasn't even paying any attention to what the man was doing, as he was simply so enthralled with his info dumping that the world was a non-existent force to him. But Bonnie noticed, and quickly a smile formed on their lips as they nodded eagerly in encouragement.

Mike reared his hand up for the shot, then gave his fingers a flick as he sent the pineapple flying. It didn't make to Foxy's lips however; instead it hit right dab on the tip of his nose, sticking onto it due to the grease of the cheese. Mike snorted hard, having a happy "oh shit" look on his face at what he just did; not really concerned, but still surprised he even hit him at all.

Foxy jumped a little when he felt the cube hit him, bringing him out of his thoughts. Crossing his eyes, he looked at the chunk that now sat proudly on his nose; even as he wiggled it, it stayed firmly in place. "Tha hell?" he said in a baffled voice, reaching up and taking the chunk off.

Mike blew out an airy laugh from in between his lips, no longer able to keep his composure.

"I'm not sure if that was a bullseye or not, but damn that was beautiful!" Bonnie exclaimed, clapping their hands and laughing just as hard. It was such a silly thing, it shouldn't have amused them as much as it did, but damn if it did.

Foxy blinked, examining the pineapple in between his fingers. He still wasn't entirely sure what happened, but he could guess well enough from the other two's reactions that it was something to do with them. And he couldn't help but join in with their merriment, laughing along with them and popping the chunk into his mouth.

"Well, someone certainly has aim, don't they?" he teased, giving a playful look to the guard in front of him.

Mike snorted in between his laughs, trying to compose himself to answer, but couldn't really do much more than shake his head. He felt like a proper child right now and he loved every bit of it. "N-No, not really. Was _way_ off my mark, haha!" he finally managed to reply with.

"Could've fooled me, that hit pretty spot on matey, I'm impressed!" Foxy gave one more chuckle before he rested his arms underneath him. "Well, guess that's what I deserve fer goin' off 'gain. Sorry 'bout that lad, I'm just… well, really passionate about pirate history. Didn't mean ta bore ye there."

Mike cleared his throat, stopping his giggles so he could actually talk. "Nah dude, it's fine. Just couldn't resist myself, I'm a literal two-year-old like that. It's pretty cool how much you know though, wish I was that involved with something!"

Foxy smiled warmly at the compliment, feeling a sense of pride hearing it come from the man's mouth.

The three continued on with the chatter and eating, having fun with what time they had together.

—

"Augh, holy shit man, I don't think I could eat anymore," Mike said, putting down the crust to his fourth slice. He had eaten a lot more than he thought he would be able to, but still the pizza was left half-eaten, six slices remaining.

He felt bad that he wasn't able to eat it all at once, but he did warn the pirate he was awful at eating whole pizzas. Despite that, both Bonnie and Foxy refused to eat more than one slice, insisting that it was his pizza and they shouldn't indulge more than they should.

"It's fine lad, probably was a bit o'erkill ta make a large pizza, heh. How 'bout we put away what's left in the fridge, then ye can take it home an' finish it off there once yer shift's o'er with! That way ye's still have tha majority o' it!"

"Ah, sure, sounds good! Though if you guys finish it off, I wouldn't exactly be mad," Mike got up the stretch out his now bloated stomach, groaning as he cracked his fingers.

"Well I would be, it still be yer pizza matey," Foxy stood up as well, then looked over at Bonnie. "Could ye put this away fer him, lax? Gotta get tha lad back in business 'fore me time's up."

"Sure, no problemo!" Bonnie joined suit in getting up and picked the pan up. They then locked eyes with Mike and gave a wide grin. "Just try not to forget it dude, we may be adamant about not eating it but the employees probably wouldn't be quite as thoughtful as we are."

"Oh, no, I'll make sure not to! Would really just be discourteous of me to just leave my gift like that, heh."

Bonnie nodded as they walked off towards the kitchen. While they did so, a thought crossed Foxy's head at the last second, which caused him to call out to the android. "Ah, hey, lax! While yer in there, could ye plug tha camera back in? Fergot ta do it meself!"

"Alrighty then, got it covered!" the agender android gave a thumbs up as they disappeared behind the swinging kitchen door.

With that, Foxy ran over to turn the lights back off, and Mike followed close to his person with his flashlight in hand. Once the two were back in the office, Foxy waited once more for Mike to be situated again before he began to say his farewells.

"Ah, hey dude, before you go… uh," Mike could feel sudden nervousness flicker in his stomach, bashfulness at a rather innocent gesture he wished to perform.

"Aye? What is it, lad?" the pirate gave an inquiring look, leaning himself against the doorway.

"Uh, I just uh, wanted to say… thanks again. That uh, that was completely unnecessary, but the fact you did that really… really helped to make my night feel better," Mike tried to avoid eye contact, having trouble finding the right words just to express how grateful he was.

Foxy smiled heartily, humming melodically. "It be no problem lad, glad it made ye happy! Ye'll be comin' tomorrow, right?"

"Ah, yeah, I asked to cover the entire week this go around. So I'll see you then?"

"Sounds like tha plan, matey, I look forward ta it! Remember, check Pirate Cove!" Foxy finished up, giving a wave and a wink.

Mike smiled warmly, rubbing at his content stomach. He wondered how much of it was from the pizza and how much was from happiness.


End file.
